


Ties That Bind

by shadowglove88



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-02
Updated: 2014-03-02
Packaged: 2018-01-14 07:01:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 53,889
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1257214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowglove88/pseuds/shadowglove88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Merlin saves a young boy from would-be-kidnappers, he unknowingly starts the course of events that lead him to meet the boy's father, Arthur, who has played a painful part in changing Merlin's familiy's life in the past.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

"Are you okay?" Merlin finally tore his golden eyes from the figures as they disappeared around the corner, before turning towards the boy who was still on the ground. Merlin knelt down next to the boy and hesitated a second before reaching for his face, raising it from his chin to view the bruised face. "Those bloody bastards. I shoulda  _killed_  them."  
  
The boy looked up at Merlin, eyes eerily blue, black hair falling into his face. He didn't say anything, obviously in shock after having been attacked by those four grown men. The boy was barely seven, what was he doing out alone here anyway?  
  
"Daddy! Daddy!" Twin voices were the only warning before the girls rushed to his side.  
  
Merlin frowned at them as the boy jumped at the noise they'd made. "I told you two to stay in the car."  
  
"I told Soph that." Freya, the dark haired twin, whispered in her soft voice, hanging onto Sophia's arm and hiding behind her slightly, looking at the injured boy.  
  
"Stop being such a tattle-tale, Frey." Nine-year-old Sophia sniffed before turning to their father. "Are you okay daddy?"  
  
He nodded, before turning to the still silent boy. "Can you stand up?"  
  
The boy nodded, seeming numb as he accepted the hand Merlin offered him.  
  
Merlin could barely contain his fury.  
  
This was a child.  
  
Why had those men tried to hurt him?  
  
If he ever saw them again they'd end up in the evening news!  
  
The thought....his gaze went to his daughters, the loves of his life...and the thought of someone like those men trying to hurt them.  
  
He clenched his fist at the thought.  
  
"Are you okay?" Sophia marched up to the smaller boy, eyeing him curiously. "Ouch. Your face looks terrible. Gotta hurt."  
  
The boy just looked up at her, eyes emotionless and closed off.  
  
It hurt Merlin to see such a look on such a young boy's face. "Where's you dad?" He knelt down, eyeing the boy in the fancy school uniform. "We need to call him, to let him know what happened."  
  
The boy just ducked his head.  
  
"You're from Saint Augustine's, aren'tcha?" Sophia announced, obviously recognizing the uniform. "Your dad must be some big hotshot, only the rich kids go to that school."  
  
The boy winced.  
  
Merlin was beginning to wonder if that wasn't the reason why the boy had been attacked. Things were bad economically in the world, and there'd been kidnappings recently of rich kids, the ransom for each return going higher and higher.  
  
The last child hadn't made it back home alive.  
  
That fist clenched harder.  
  
"Come on." Merlin outstretched his hand to the boy, not taking him without his permission, knowing that the child was traumatized as much as it was. "We'll take you to the hospital, get you looked at."  
  
That blue gaze went to Merlin's hand.  
  
Sophia made a face, pursing her lips.  
  
Freya peeked out from behind her twin. "We're not going to hurt you. Daddy's good, and Sophia's not so bad once you get used to her. She's just very loud."  
  
"Hey!" Sophia exclaimed.  
  
Merlin chuckled at the antics of his girls. He'd nearly died when Morgause had left, but he'd loved their daughters with all his heart, and they were everything for him now.  
  
The child continued looking at Merlin's hand, before looking at the girls and then at Merlin once more, before slowly placing his hand in Merlin's.  
  
Smiling comfortingly, Merlin helped the injured, limping boy to the car and drove to the closest hospital, informing the doctor of what had happened, the police being called immediately. He would have waited outside for the boy to be examined, but one small hand had clutched tightly in his shirt, and Merlin had been unable and unwilling to leave the small, obviously terrified and traumatized child alone when the kid was basically begging him to stay. The doctor understood, letting Merlin and the girls stay as he tended to the boy's wounds. Both Merlin and the doctor tried talking to the boy, tried getting him to speak, and the police did as well once they arrived, but the boy wouldn't say a word, only looked at his feet and held on tighter to Merlin's shirt.  
  
The father in him was in protector-mode, and he stood over the boy, answering the questions he could, the girls (or, well, Sophia) butting in every odd sentence, adding little details he'd forgotten or missed.  
  
Really, he didn't know what would have happened if they hadn't stopped at the red light at that specific junction and saw the group of men chasing the terrified child. Merlin had acted on instinct, getting out of the car and hurrying after them just as they'd caught up with the boy, roughening the crying boy up. He didn't like the realization that the boy had seen him at his worst, had seen the pain Merlin could inflict when he saw gold and let the magic he'd always had in him take over. Now that he thought it over, it was his darker, magical side that Morgause had been interested in, and when he'd become a husband, a father, he'd tried even harder to try and suppress it, to give their daughters a normal, happy and safe family, something Morgause hadn't appreciated.  
  
Today was the first day in years he'd lost his control over his magic.  
  
His blue gaze went to the boy, the arm he had holding onto Merlin was shaking, his knuckles nearly transparent from the intensity of the grip.  
  
"You're okay now." He placed a hand on the boy's shoulders. "You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."  
  
The boy looked up at him silently.  
  
God, it was breaking his heart.  
  
"We've called Mr. Pendragon and informed him of what has happened." One of the officers told Merlin as they returned, which surprised him because they hadn't the boy his name, apparently his father was that well known. "He's overseas on business, and had left his son in the care of some bodyguards, but apparently they waited for him to leave England to kidnap the boy. From your description they sound like the boy's bodyguards, but we'd like you to come to the station with us to look at some shots and see if you can identify the men. We'd normally ask the child...but he isn't speaking."  
  
Merlin nodded.  
  
That grip tightened.  
  
He looked down at the boy and gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm not going anywhere right now, don't worry."  
  
The police officer smiled at the way the boy closed his eyes and rested his head against Merlin trustingly.  
  
There was a knock on the door and a nurse stuck her head in. "Excuse me, but a Ms. Reeve is outside saying that she was called by Mr. Emrys?"  
  
Merlin smiled. "Yeah, Gwen, let her in."  
  
Gwen was let passed the officers stationed outside and looked around, pulling a tight curl behind her ear. "What have you gotten yourself mixed into now Merlin?"  
  
"Auntie Gwen!" The girls squealed and rushed to hug her.  
  
"Hello darlings." Gwen smiled, kneeling to hug them both and press a kiss to their cheeks. "You've been behaving for your dad?"  
  
Sophia shook her head truthfully.  
  
Freya nodded dutifully.  
  
"Oh, you two are so cute I wanna devour you whole!" Gwen cooed, hugging them tightly to her before smiling up at Merlin. But her smile slipped when she saw the boy, and she stood immediately. "My god! Who did that to him?"  
  
The boy winced.  
  
Gwen turned to Merlin once more, eyes narrowed. "I hope you kicked their posteriors."  
  
Only Gwen would say something like that.  
  
The boy looked up at Gwen in surprise at the vehemence in that sentence.  
  
The woman then gave the boy a sweet smile, one of her Gwen-smiles that always made everything in the world alright. "I'm Gwen, what's your name?"  
  
For a moment it looked like he wouldn't answer her, just like he wouldn't answer anyone else when they'd tried asking him questions to get him to talk, but then he looked up at her, face serious. "Mordred."  
  
She was silent, before giving a little elated squeal. "He's so  _cute_!"  
  
Merlin chuckled as Mordred's eyes widened in shock at that, a faint flush crawling up his neck as he clung tighter to Merlin, obviously unsure and seeking a feeling of comfort and protection. "Gwen, stop showering the boy with your powers of Gweness. It's overwhelming him."  
  
She grinned brightly at him. "But it's a natural talent Merlin!"  
  
He didn't know what he would do without his best friend. They'd grown up in the same Foster Home, become like brother and sister to each other, and after Morgause had left, it was only Gwen's love and support that'd gotten Merlin through the darker days, she and Morgana were the ones who'd helped him believe that he could be the parent his girls deserved. He and Gwen were lucky, having had such a wonderful home to grow up in, and such wonderful parents, Hunith and Gaius. They'd grown up closer than normal brother and sister, and probably cherished their family more than most blood-related families did.  
  
"Come on you two, Mordred and daddy have to go with the nice police man so they can help them find the men who did this to Mordred." Gwen announced, going to the two girls.  
  
"But we wanna go to the police station too!" Sophia complained, stomping her foot. "I wanna see a real live jail cell!"  
  
"Dear  _god_." Merlin bemoaned. "She'll grow up to be a crime-lord, I just  _know_  it."  
  
Gwen giggled, patting Sophia's head. "Come now Soph, I'm sure you'll see your share of jail cells in your teenaged years."  
  
"You think?" Sophia asked, eyes wide.  
  
" _Guinevere_!" Merlin gasped. "Don't encourage her!"  
  
Gwen just winked at Merlin and ushered the two girls out of the room.  
  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The trip to the police station had been exhausting.  
  
At least they'd been able to help, both Merlin and Mordred identifying the same pictures as the people who'd tried kidnapped Mordred, and Mordred had been allowed to go back to Merlin's until his father arrived for him. The boy only had two people in his family, his father and his grandfather, and from what Merlin understood, both were important men and both were out of the country. So considering that the child was already traumatized and seemed to trust Merlin, officer Du Lac had allowed him to go with Merlin, assuring the boy that there would be a policeman in a car across the street keeping an eye on the house to make sure that they were safe.  
  
When they'd arrived Morgana had been there, entertaining the girls with stories of how she'd met a cannibalistic tribe while trekking in the Amazons in her teenaged years and how they'd seen what everyone else was 'obviously too stupid to realize' and thought she was their goddess come back in human form. She'd had a whole tribe of fierce warriors at her beck and call that whole summer, until she'd had to return to England for her last year in high school.  
  
Merlin sighed.  
  
Sometimes Morgana was kinda scary.  
  
But he didn't know how he would survive without her, Gwen, Hunith and Gauis.  
  
Morgana was Morgause's half-sister, and while the sisters never really gotten along while growing up Morgana had attached herself to Gwen when she'd met her through Merlin, and that had helped Merlin form a relationship with his wife's sister. When Morgause had run off with someone else Morgana had sworn never to forgive her and had been an anchor and shield for Merlin, she and Gwen were the best friends he could have ever asked for, both loyal and fiercely protective of him and his daughters. They were the mothers his daughter needed, the reason why the girls never really wondered where their mother wasn't with them, and didn't really seem to care.  
  
"There's just something about that boy." Morgana announced to Merlin as she watched Mordred sitting silently, looking at his cards, as he played Uno with Gwen, Freya and Sophia. The boy hadn't ever heard of the game before, but Gwen had explained the rules...and ever since the first trial round he was killing the girls...winning every single game.  
  
Sophia narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously over her cards. "You always this good at games?"  
  
"I don't know." Mordred replied in a monotone way, gaze on his cards. "I've never played before."  
  
Something in Merlin ached to hear that.  
  
Sophia blinked. "I'm going to have to bring you along to play poker with the other kids at my school. If you're this good naturally we could so totally clean those losers out! And if they can't cough up the dough, we could make them become our minions!"  
  
Merlin sighed, hanging his head.  
  
His daughter, the future Crime Lord.  
  
He turned to Morgana. "I'll have you know that if she ends up in prison, I'll blame you."  
  
Morgana grinned brightly.  
  
He sighed again.  
  
"Uno." Freya called, holding the last card in her hand.  
  
They continued on with the game late into the night, until Merlin informed the girls it was time to sleep. They went to bed without any trouble, Freya curling up into her father's arms and Sophia informing Mordred that he was lucky the game was interrupted because she'd been just about to kick his butt with her 'awesome cards'. Mordred had flipped the cards over, showing a couple of 1s in different colors.  
  
Sophia had pouted and left, bluff called and defeated.  
  
After putting the girls to bed and receiving his nightly goodnight kiss, Merlin had taken Mordred to the spare bedroom next to the girls and tucked him in as well on reflex. "Would you like anything before you go to sleep?" He asked. "A glass of water maybe?"  
  
Mordred shook his head.  
  
Merlin smiled. "You're safe here. You can sleep soundly, okay? I'm in the other room, Gwen and Morgana are staying over, and there's a policeman outside."  
  
Mordred nodded.  
  
"Sleep tight." Merlin went to the door and reached for the light.  
  
"Can you keep it on?" Mordred asked quickly, a little desperately.  
  
Merlin turned and smiled in understanding. "There's a nightlight in the corner, it'll light up the room enough."  
  
Mordred was silent, head tilted down. "I'm not usually such a sissy." His voice wavered.  
  
A frown touched Merlin's face and he found himself going back to the bed and sitting on the edge of it. "Sissy? Don't be ridiculous. You went through an extremely traumatic experience today that would have made adults burst out in tears...and you've handled it so maturely. It's only human for you to be shaken up after a thing like that. Those men were supposed to protect you, not hurt you."  
  
Mordred nodded.  
  
"Your father should arrive tomorrow on the first flight, so don't worry. I know this is a strange place and you don't know us, but rest assured that you are safe here." Merlin place a hand on that slumped shoulder. "We have enjoyed having you with us. And despite the circumstances, we hope you enjoyed it too."  
  
"I...have." The boy looked up at Merlin and gave him a curious expression, as if surprised that he'd enjoyed himself. "It is very different here than home."  
  
"How so?" Merlin hadn't heard the boys say this much all evening, and was intrigued.  
  
"Loud." He shrugged.  
  
Merlin chuckled. "That sums up this place incredibly well." He leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "It's the women I tell you! Just don't let them know I told you that. They're scary."  
  
"Especially Morgana." Mordred agreed softly.  
  
Merlin threw his head back and laughed. "Good boy! You're sharp!"  
  
Mordred's lips stretched slightly, like he was trying to smile and didn't even realize it.  
  
Reaching over, Merlin ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Sleep well my boy." Making sure that the kid was wrapped up well, he stood and left the room, turning off the light and making sure the nightlight came on brightly before closing the door.  
  
Making his way to the couch, he collapsed onto it, tired.  
  
"How was he, Mer?" Gwen asked, sitting down next to him.  
  
"Still a little shaken, but so incredibly strong." Merlin couldn't help but admire that.  
  
"He might be a rich kid, but it doesn't look like that boy has had it easy." Morgana admitted, sitting down on Merlin's other side. "He said he doesn't play games. He studies. His father buys him puzzles and encyclopedias." She snorted. "Obviously the man's an idiot."  
  
"' _Gana_." Gwen scolded.  
  
"What?" Morgana looked genuinely confused as to why she was being scolded. "Gwen! The kid's  _six_! Who gives their six year old son the  _Encyclopedia Britannica_?"  
  
"Someone who obviously wants the kid to be smart. It's a nice gift." Gwen replied.  
  
"A nice gift would be a rugby ball." Morgana argued.  
  
"So he can go out and get his nose broken?" Gwen frowned.  
  
"So he can go out and have fun." Morgana replied.  
  
Both were glaring at each other and leaning over Merlin towards each other.  
  
He just sighed, leaning his head back against the couch. "He's a good kid. I think the girls liked him. They could be a good influence on him, get him to open up a little."  
  
"Or plot world domination together." Morgana turned towards him. "Remember I  _was_  the one who found Sophia's list."  
  
"Be Beautiful. Get Stupid Rich Husband. Take Stupid Rich Husband's Money. Form a Militia With Stupid Rich Husband's Money. Take Over A Small Country. Wage War With Another Small Country Bordering First Conquered Country. Conquer. Join Said Countries Into One Larger Country. Repeat Until Having Obtained Total World Domination. Have Free Chocolate For Life. Get Freya A Dog. Buy Dad New Socks." Merlin repeated the list by memory with a groan, placing a hand over his eyes. "She was only seven when she wrote that."  
  
"I know." Morgana smiled proudly.  
  
Merlin just groaned.  
  
Gwen giggled. "Well, just be glad. In a few years she'll be too interested in boys to consider a future as a Tyrant/Dictator."  
  
"Boys." Merlin groaned at the very thought. "Why do they have to like boys? Why can't they just skip that stage?"  
  
"Well, they don't have to like boys." Morgana leaned back against him. "They could always like girls."  
  
The doorbell ringing cut into that conversation.  
  
Getting up with a groan, Merlin went to the door and opened it, eyes widening as he saw the last person he would have ever expected on his doorstep.  
  
"I'm Arthur Pendragon." The blonde told him, looking absolutely distraught. "Officer Du Lac--- is my son---?"  
  
"Come in, he's fine, he's sleeping. I thought you were coming tomorrow?" Merlin tried to keep himself together, calm, as he stepped aside and let the haggard-looking blonde inside. "Mordred's safe. Don't worry."  
  
"I pulled some strings and got here faster, I just couldn't---my son! I'm going to fucking kill those bastards with my own hands!" He raved, tearing off his scarf and throwing it to the ground in impotent anger before turing to Merlin. "Were you the one who saved him?"  
  
"Yes I--."  
  
"Thank you." Arthur Pendragon reached for Merlin's hand and grabbed it, his own hand shaking slightly. "Thank you  _so much_."  
  
Merlin's eyes widened.  
  
Morgana and Gwen watched curiously from the couch.  
  
Of course, they didn't know that this was the man Morgause had left him for.


	2. Chapter Two

Either Arthur never knew the name of the man Morgause had left for him, or he just hadn't thought the man important enough to remember.  
  
That was the only conclusion Merlin could come up with.  
  
Merlin really hadn't known much about the man Morgause had been having an affaire with other than what his face looked like, and that was only because Merlin had seen them once together by accident while they'd been out together. He'd confronted his wife about it at home later that night when she'd finally returned, their baby daughters sleeping peacefully in their rooms. Morgause hadn't even felt guilty. According to her it was all Merlin's fault, that he'd gotten boring and domestic, that the animal she'd gotten with had become tamed and boring, and she didn't know why he was surprised that she needed to find excitement elsewhere. She'd then informed him that she was leaving him, and that he could keep the children. She'd packed and left, and a couple of weeks after their divorce he'd received a note from her telling him she was getting married and asking him, quite spitefully, if he and his right hand were ever going to commit officially to each other as well.  
  
He hadn't heard from her since.  
  
Obviously....obviously she'd had another child.  
  
Mordred.  
  
The thought shocked him viciously.  
  
Mordred was his daughters'  _half brother_.  
  
And that led him to another thought.  
  
Where was Morgause?  
  
Hadn't Officer Du Lac said that Mordred only had a father and grandfather?  
  
"He was hurt." There was a darkness in Arthur's voice as they looked down at the bruises on the sleeping boy's face. "I can't believe they thought they could get away with hurting a Pendragon."  
  
Merlin leaned against the wall, conflicted. He wanted to hate the man for taking his wife and the mother of his children away, but after Morgause had shown her true colors he'd begun to wonder if the man hadn't actually done them all a favor. And anyway, the man might be an idiot who gave his six year old Encyclopedia Britannica, but he obviously loved his son. Merlin could sense the love the man had for his boy and could understand a father's love...could understand the need to destroy anything or anyone who harmed their beloved children.  
  
"He's very strong." Merlin told Arthur, eyes on Mordred.  
  
"He is." Arthur nodded, seeming utterly proud of that as he sat down on the bed's edge and hesitated a second before reaching over and brushing the sleeping boy's hair from his face. "When I got the call from the police station about what had happened, I thought---." He sighed and stopped, lowering his head. "It doesn't matter what I thought." He looked up at Merlin. "I don't like being in anyone's debt. It makes me uncomfortable knowing that someone somewhere out there has something hanging over my head. What do you want in exchange for this? Money?"  
  
"My god." Merlin blinked, shocked for a moment at those words, before chuckling in wry disbelief. "You're an utter prat."  
  
He frowned. "Excuse me?"  
  
"A prat." Merlin repeated. " _You_  are a  _prat_."  
  
Arthur stood up. "I will not have you speaking to me like this. Do you  _know_  who I am?"  
  
"Not really." Merlin admitted, not at all intimidated at the man who stalked towards him. "I've been wondering it, actually. Obviously you have money, and obviously you think everyone is out to get you."  
  
"They attacked my son. I'm not just  _thinking_  it." Arthur hissed in his face.  
  
Merlin still had yet to feel intimidated. "Well, I'm not interested in your money."  
  
"Then  _what_  are you interested in?" Arthur hissed, voice louder.  
  
Merlin's hand shot out and plastered itself over Arthur's mouth.  
  
The blonde went still, eyes wide in shock.  
  
Merlin just shook his head. "You're going to wake Mordred if you keep raising your voice."  
  
Arthur just continued to look at him in shock.  
  
"I'll remove this now." The dark haired man announced, retrieving his hand. "And if you hate owing someone you can pay me back by answering a question."  
  
"A...question?" Arthur asked, head tilted slightly in confusion.  
  
"Mordred's mother." Merlin took in a deep breath. "Was her name Morgause?"  
  
Arthur's eyes narrowed, darkened. "How did you know Morgause?"  
  
"Yes or no."  
  
That seemed to infuriate the blonde but he closed in eyes and took in a deep, calming breath, before nodding. "Yes. Now how did you know her?"  
  
"I was the husband she left for you." Merlin replied, leaning against the wall, and just watching the blonde.  
  
"What?" Blue eyes widened as shock twisted those handsome features. "You're  _that_  Merlin?"  
  
"She spoke about me?" He frowned, a little surprised by that.  
  
"I---children." Arthur frowned. "You have children."  
  
Apparently Morgause had told Arthur about the girls.  
  
That was...shocking.  
  
"Freya and Sophia." He nodded, feeling extremely conflicted.  
  
He'd always thought that Morgause had left and forgotten about them.  
  
He never would have expected that she had told her new husband about them.  
  
"I----she only told me after the wedding." Arthur ran a hand over his hair, stepping back, all hostility gone in a flash. "About the children. I wanted a child, and she'd said no, she'd already had two and wasn't planning on making that mistake twice." He chuckled darkly, shaking his head. "She was incredibly pissed off when she found out she was pregnant with Mordred."  
  
Merlin flinched and looked away, amazed how Morgause was able to wound them even now.  
  
"I----." Arthur fell into silence, seeming not to know what to say.  
  
"I only realized who Mordred was when you showed up on my doorstep." Merlin felt the need to tell him.  
  
"Would you have saved him if you'd known?" Arthur asked oddly.  
  
"What sort of people are you used to being around?" Merlin asked, a little worried. "Who would have allowed that boy to get hurt just because his father didn't care of the woman he was sleeping with was married or not?"  
  
Arthur flinched, looking away. "I didn't know that she was married until after we were living together. And I only found out because I accidentally overheard her talking to a lawyer about the divorce."  
  
Merlin shrugged, folding his arms over his chest. "What's done is done. You probably did us a favor anyway. The girls...they're fine."  
  
Arthur nodded silently, looking a little frustrated and uncomfortable. "I should get him home."  
  
"Stay the night." The words were out before he could take them back.  
  
There was silence.  
  
Merlin looked away, feeling incredibly awkward. "That bed is big enough for two, and he's had a terrible day, his rest shouldn't be interrupted. You don't look good either. I don't want to turn on the news and see that you got into an accident on the way to wherever it is you live. Also, our children are half-siblings...they deserve to know this, and they should have a relationship. It's only right. So...spend the night, and we'll talk about everything in the morning once everyone is rested and has had breakfast."  
  
Arthur looked at him, frowning, before shaking his head and smiling slightly. "You really have no idea who I am, huh?"  
  
"Should I?" Merlin frowned, looking Arthur up and down. "What are you? Some sort of rockstar?"  
  
Arthur snorted in laughter. "Yes, of course Merlin, I'm Robbie Williams."  
  
"Who?" Merlin frowned, wondering if he was serious and if that was his stage name.  
  
"Good God man!" Arthur continued to laugh, running a hand over his hair. "What century do you  _live_  in?"  
  
"I'm sorry." Merlin raised an eyebrow, intrigued by this man who changed his emotions like one would socks. "I have two nine year old daughters, I'm afraid my music selection has been restricted to bands like the Jonas Brothers and Hannah Montana---and sometimes even a little Justin Timberlake if the girls are feeling particularly mature."  
  
Arthur flinched. "I feel for you, mate."  
  
Merlin nodded.  
  
He was a little confused.  
  
He should feel anger, resentment...something along those lines towards the man who'd taken his wife from him...but after seeing him looking down at his son, Merlin didn't think he could muster those feelings if he tried.  
  
And anyway, that had happened many years ago.  
  
Maybe this was proof that Merlin was more mature than he'd previously thought.  
  
"I'll get my luggage from the car." Arthur announced finally, walking past Merlin to the door, stopping as his hand reached for the handle, his back to the thinner man. "Thank you, Merlin."  
  
And with that he hurried out.  
  
Merlin watched him go silently.  
  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Tossing and turning that night in bed, Merlin sighed and looked up at his ceiling. It'd been such an eventful day.  
  
He'd done so well not thinking about his ex all of these years, putting her out of his mind, even though Sophia was growing up to look more and more like her mother.  
  
Now this situation had brought Morgause back into his mind painfully.  
  
Where was she now?  
  
Was she alive?  
  
Was she dead?  
  
Had she divorced Pendragon?  
  
Even though she didn't care for it, she was the mother of his daughters, and for their sake he hoped that Morgause was alive and well, wherever she was...and that she wasn't mothering any more apparently unwanted children.  
  
 _Mistake_.  
  
He closed his eyes tightly.  
  
How could Morgause have ever called their children that?  
  
Merlin thanked all holy every single day for the blessing that was his daughters.  
  
He loved and cherished them.  
  
They were his life.  
  
The door creaked open.  
  
He turned at the sound, smiling when he saw Freya clutching her pink bear to her heart. "Hey honey. Did you have a bad dream again?"  
  
Freya nodded, eyes wide and teary, bottom lip poked out. "Can I sleep here tonight daddy?"  
  
He outstretched his arms and the child ran to the bed, throwing herself onto it and into his arms. He embraced her, reassuring her wordlessly, letting her know that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. "You wanna talk about it? You know your aunt Morgana said that that helps."  
  
Thank the gods for Morgana.  
  
Morgause hadn't had the gift, but it was in their family, according to Morgana. One girl in each generation of the family had the Sight, and since Morgana had been the one in her generation to be given the gift, she was able to understand the terrible nightmares Freya sometimes had, and counsel Merlin on how to be a better support for the younger of the twins.  
  
"A plane is going to crash soon. It's getting caught in an unexpected storm." Freya whispered into his chest, holding onto his shirt tightly. "There are children on that plane. They won't survive the fall."  
  
"I'm sorry you have to see that, baby." Merlin pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You shouldn't have to, especially not this young."  
  
"It's okay, papa." She whispered, sniffling. "I'm strong."  
  
"I know honey, I know that." He closed his eyes, holding her close as she cried softly, staying awake until she was finally lulled into sleep.  
  
Merlin felt so helpless.  
  
Ever since she was five Freya had started manifesting the Sight, and every single time she woke up screaming and crying he felt so useless. He couldn't stop the visions, couldn't give her a normal childhood. It killed him to admit that. He wanted the best for his daughters, and one of them was suffering and he couldn't do anything to stop it, not with all the magic in his body.  
  
Freya murmured something in her sleep and turned so that she was giving him her back, bringing her thumb to her mouth.  
  
Merlin smiled.  
  
A noise sounded in the kitchen.  
  
Frowning, Merlin slowly eased off of the bed as not to wake up his daughter and escaped the room. He walked the darkened hallway, following the noise only to pause when he saw who was raiding his fridge. "What are you doing awake?"  
  
Morgana, dressed in nothing but her underwear and a camisole, straightened and turned to look at him, a rice pudding snack in her hand as she closed the fridge door, bathing the kitchen in darkness once more. "Couldn't sleep."  
  
"Airplane crash?" He asked curiously, going to sit on a stool by the counter.  
  
She sighed, ducking her gaze. "Freya?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"That was a nasty one to have to See." Flicking a long curl over her shoulder, Morgana went to get a spoon before sitting next to him, opening the snack and trying a spoonful. "Lots of children are on the flight." She paused, looking at the spoon. "Should be crashing as we speak."  
  
Merlin reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It kills me, you know. You two having to see those things."  
  
"You're such a sweetie, Merlin." Morgana smiled at him gratefully, leaning forwards and pressing a sisterly kiss to his cheek. "I learnt to deal with what I can't help change, and Freya will learn to deal with it as well. I know its made her mature faster than she should have--but she's very strong. If there's anyone out there who can learn to master this and live with it, it's her, so don't worry."  
  
He nodded, dropping his hand from her shoulder and leaning forwards on the counter. "I've totally failed them."  
  
Morgana looked at him through her bangs. "How could you have  _ever_  failed those girls?"  
  
"I wanted to give them a normal childhood, I even stopped using my magic to try and give it to them." Merlin pressed his forehead against the cool of the counter's surface. "But Freya inherited the Sight, and Sophia---."  
  
"Stop right there. You've been the best father that anyone could ask for!" Morgana snapped, glaring at him. "Do you think  _my_  father let me climb into bed with him when I had nightmares? No. He told me that I had to learn to deal with them! Those girls are special, and most importantly Merlin, they're  _happy_. They adore you and know you adore them, they're secure in that knowledge, that you would die for them...you're giving them the best childhood they could have hoped for." She lowered her gaze. "You're giving them the childhood Morgause and I  _should_  have had. So...so be proud. Because  _I_  am."  
  
He turned and looked at her, smiling thankfully. "You're getting soft on me, 'Gana?"  
  
"Oh shut up." She grumbled, stuffing a spoonful of pudding in her mouth.  
  
He continued smiling at her before leaning his forehead back against the counter. "How do you think the girls are going to react when I tell them tomorrow about Mordred?"  
  
Morgana sighed. "I don't know how  _I_  am reacting. I mean, how could I not See that I had a nephew out there somewhere or that he would be in danger? Why could I not See something so important?"  
  
There was no answer to that.  
  
She leaned back, though not far enough to fall off of the stool. "The father, he's cute." She sent Merlin a look. "But Gwen and I both agree that if either of us had been with you we would never have left you for him."  
  
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Thanks 'Gana, makes a man feel good. Even if its coming from his sister and her girlfriend."  
  
"I resent that." Morgana pouted. "I'm your sister too."  
  
Tenderness entered him at that.  
  
She really was.  
  
"Yeah, you are." He nudged her shoulder with his.  
  
She pinched him.  
  
"Ouch!"  
  
"Crybaby." She scoffed victoriously, concentrating on her snack once more.  
  
They sat in companionable silence until the snack was done, and then they went back to their rooms, and finally managed to find rest.  
  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
A scream pierced the night.  
  
Merlin shot up in the bed, immediately turning towards Freya, but the girl was sleeping peacefully by his side.  
  
His gaze went to the clock, which read 4:00 AM.  
  
Frowning he slid out of bed, listening, hearing whimpers and a worried voice.  
  
It was coming from the second guest room.  
  
Hurrying towards it he waited at the door before entering at the sound of cries and whimpers.  
  
Arthur looked up, eyes wide and face a mixture of confusion and worry. "He woke up screaming and then..."  
  
Merlin turned to Mordred, who was in the corner of the room, hugging his knees to his chest, crying.  
  
Every single mirror in the room was broken.  
  
Arthur stood over him, looking desperate and confused.  
  
A moment's suspicion filled Merlin before he surged forwards and knelt down in front of him. "Mordred?"  
  
He looked up at Merlin, eyes vacant though dashing around rapidly, as if seeing something happening in front of him that was completely different from what really was.  
  
"Mordred?" Merlin whispered, placing his hand on the boy's shoulder.  
  
And then Mordred screamed.  
  
The windows began to tremble, small spiderweb cracks appearing on the glass.  
  
"What's happening?" Arthur looked around him, eyes wide.  
  
Merlin pulled Mordred into his arms, eyes flashing gold as their magic collided, and Merlin used his, feeling the magic surrounding the boy.  
  
Energy crackled around them, strong, angry and violent.  
  
"Get Morgana!" His voice was strained.  
  
"Why? What in god's name is---?"  
  
" _Go_!" Merlin snapped, holding onto Mordred tightly as Arthur did as told.  
  
He closed his eyes tightly, and prayed to all holy that Morgana got here before the curse took full effect on the child and it was too late.


	3. Chapter Three

"Oh my god!" Morgana's whisper was the only warning Merlin had before she was kneeling by his side, turning his head and pressing her lips to his.  
  
"What's going on?" Arthur could be heard saying.  
  
"Just---just watch." Gwen stuttered by his side.  
  
Pulling her mouth from his, eyes golden from the magic he'd allowed her to siphon out of him, Morgana, the one who knew better about curses, turned to Gwen. "Get the oils!"  
  
Gwen nodded before hurrying away.  
  
Morgana then turned to Mordred and grabbed him by his throat, golden eyes looking deep inside of those terrified yet vacant blue orbs.  
  
And suddenly the scream escaping the child's mouth was agonized as he thrashed and started to glow a dark black.  
  
"Stop it!" Arthur yelled. "You're hurting him!"  
  
Before they could stop him, he'd rushed forwards and pushed Morgana aside, reaching for the boy.  
  
Mordred's eyes trained on his father and at the touch all the black shot out of him into Arthur.  
  
"No!" Merlin turned in time to see Arthur's eyes roll back in his head as he collapsed to the ground, body shaking violently in spasms.  
  
Mordred fell limp in Merlin's arms.  
  
Gwen hurried into the room with Morgana's case of oils and such, eyes wide in horror. " _Oh no_."  
  
"Gwen!" Morgana called, hurriedly going to Mordred and taking him from Merlin's arms. "I'll take care of him. You leech it out of Arthur! He'll die in minutes if you don't!"  
  
Merlin, who'd already known this, hurried towards Arthur and straddled his spasming body, using his magic to pin the top of Arthur's body down.  
  
"I usually wait till at least the third date for this." He mumbled in embarrassed discomfort before reaching down and cupping the back of that blonde head and raising Arthur's head slightly to bring their lips together. He closed his golden eyes and concentrated on siphoning the dark magic out of its victim, forcing it into his own body, feeling his body burn within as it attack the malicious curse instantly. He deepened the kiss, pulling out more, feeling his whole body thrum with magic. His fingertips prickled slightly, and his lips and body were getting warmer and warmer, but he persisted, tongue swiping into that mouth to scoop out more. His fingers tightened their hold on Arthur's hair and shirt, and he felt lightheaded...yet not in an entirely bad way.  
  
Only when he was sure he'd siphoned out all of the dark magic attacking Arthur, did Merlin let go, collapsing on the ground beside the man, thus missing the dark blush on Arthur's face.  
  
Merlin breathed in and out, in and out, heart racing incredibly fast.  
  
"Gwen, call for Edwin." Morgana ordered, finishing the mixture of Eucalyptus, St. John's Wort and Sandalwood oils. She dabbed her finger into the mixture and used it to mark a pentacle on a sleeping Mordred's forehead before hurrying over to Arthur and doing the same, and then she repeated the process on Merlin. "You okay?"  
  
He nodded only after she'd finished with the design.  
  
"The three of you, don't move." She ordered, standing up and hurrying out of the room.  
  
There was silence.  
  
" _Mordred_?" Arthur's voice was hoarse and worried.  
  
"He's fine now, just sleeping." Merlin groaned, fighting to keep his eyes open. "He wasn't the one the curse was aimed at."  
  
There was a moment's silence. "You're saying it was for  _me_?"  
  
Merlin nodded, yawning. "Whoever those men who were trying to kidnap Mordred for must have been watching from a safe distance when it happened and when it didn't work he or she cursed him." He growled. "It makes sense now...how he was so out of it. He was under shock of being cursed. I was right there and I didn't even feel the magic working. Do you know how powerful that sorcerer has to be for that to happen?"  
  
"Magic..." Arthur wheezed, still laying on his back. "It...exists? How?"  
  
Merlin felt so sleepy. "Surprised Morgause never told you."  
  
"Morgause?" Arthur was frowning, that was obvious. "I...why am I so...sleepy?"  
  
"That spell was meant for you. They used Mordred as a carrier of the curse, and once the sorcerer activated it the moment you went to help him, as would any father, the curse would be transferred to you and you would have died in five minutes if I hadn't siphoned it out of you."  
  
Gwen rushed into the room. "Edwin's on his way."  
  
Morgana was right behind her, hurrying into the room and wrapping a necklace of torquise around both Mordred and Arthur's throats.  
  
That was the last thing Merlin saw before he lost the battle and fell asleep.  
  
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Waking up, Merlin took in a deep breath, smiling up at the man leaning down over him, hand to his forehead.  
  
"What have I told you about taking in strays?" Edwin smiled down friendly at his friend. "And what about minding your own business?"  
  
"Aren't you supposed to be nice to your patients?" Merlin chuckled, sitting up in bed and them pausing when he realized that that Arthur and Mordred were also sleeping on the same bed.  
  
"It was easier for me to have all the patients in one room." Edwin replied the unasked question. "Whoever it was that cursed that boy did a nasty job of it. They were intending to use the boy to kill his father."  
  
"We figured that ourselves." Merlin nodded, sighing.  
  
"I don't like that you were exposed to the magic, Merlin." Edwin frowned at him. "You should have known better than to siphon out the magic yourself."  
  
"I tried not to, Ed, Morgana was going to siphon it out using some of my magic, but then Arthur touched Mordred and we had two victims and I really didn't have any choice but to do it on my own." He sighed, laying back down, still very tired. "If it makes you feel any better, I didn't even get an  _itch_  of desire to hurt anyone even when the dark magic was inside of me."  
  
Edwin sighed, sitting down on the chair by the bed.  
  
They were silent, not looking at each other.  
  
But they were remembering the same thing.  
  
Remembering how, in Merlin's day, he'd gotten contaminated with dark magic and how he'd gone off in a destructive spree that'd nearly destroyed his soul. It was around that time that he'd met Morgause, and he had to admit that it was his darker self that had always attracted the beautiful blonde. No wonder he'd become so 'boring' for her, if she'd fallen for him when he was with eternally gold eyes and a bad attitude beating up and hurting anyone who so much as looked at him the wrong way.  
  
Merlin sighed and looked at the two men in the large bed. They had on the torquise necklaces, and each also had a small charmbag on a leather band around their necks. "Let me guess: chamomile, cinnamon, bay leaf, garlic, parsley, rosemary, St. John's Wort, and Vervain."  
  
"Exactly." Edwin nodded. "I've also given them some healing tonic when they woke up a little earlier. It will have flushed out everything by the next time they awake. They're be fine, and so will you, thank the spirits."  
  
Merlin nodded before pausing, hesitating. "Did Morgana and Gwen tell you about who they are?"  
  
The doctor looked up and nodded. "Yes. I was shocked. But it explained the fact that there's magic in the boy."  
  
Merlin nodded. "I felt it as well. Morgause would have ben furious if she'd found out she was the only one in her family without the ability to do magic, and yet all of her offspring have at least a hint of it in their blood."  
  
Edwin frowned. "Where is she now?"  
  
"I don't know." Merlin admitted. "I really haven't had the time to ask Arthur. But I don't think she's in the picture anymore. I think she left him."  
  
"She's been known to do that in the past." Edwin agreed, running a hand over his hair. "You should rest some more, let your body recycle and purify the dark magic you ingested."  
  
Merlin nodded, a sound from outside causing him to look at the door. "Are the girls okay?"  
  
"Worried about their father. One of them called Hunith, and Hunith told Gaius, and I believe they were making plans to fly here until Gwen assured them that you were fine and that you just needed some rest." Edwin grinned, remembering his old mentor. "You know Gaius though, he's been calling me on my cellular nonstop to make sure that I'm giving you all the right treatment."  
  
Merlin smiled, thinking about the man he loved like a father. "When I'm a little stronger I'll call him and let him know you haven't given me a bad prescription."  
  
"Oy, I should slap you for that." Edwin laughed, standing and passing Merlin a glass of murky and terrible-looking drink that'd been by the bedside table. "Drink this. It will help your body purify the dark magic still in there."  
  
Merlin, knowing it was going to taste foul like everything Edwin made, gave a long-suffering sigh as he reached for the drink.  
  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
The next thing Merlin saw when he woke up was his angels.  
  
"Daddy!" Freya threw herself onto him, hugging him tightly around his throat.  
  
"Don't scare us like that!" Sophia admonished as she did the same.  
  
Smiling, Merlin drew his arms around his daughters and hugged them tightly. "Takes more than that to take your old man down."  
  
The girls showered his face with kisses before pulling away, giving him enough space to look around and realize that Arthur and Mordred both were gone.  
  
"Daddy." Freya was silent, looking at her hands. "Is what Aunt Morgana and that man saying true?"  
  
Merlin frowned. "What were they saying?"  
  
Sophia made a face. "We heard them talking about mother." She looked away, expression troubled. "They were arguing, actually. They didn't know Mordred, Freya and I were listening. We were supposed to be with aunt Gwen but aunt Gwen was showing uncle Edwin out."  
  
"Aunt Morgana said that Mordred is mother's son. That he's our brother." Freya admitted in a soft voice, sending a look in her redheaded sister's direction before looking at Merlin in determination. "Is it true? Did mommy leave us to have Mordred?"  
  
"No." Merlin sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed and resting one daughter on a knee. "Your mother didn't leave you to have Mordred. She left because she wanted to, because her life wasn't meant to be by our side. Then later on she had Mordred, but it isn't his fault that she left. You shouldn't hate him or anything because none of this is his fault. And if what I believe is correct, she left him too."  
  
"We don't  _hate_  Mordred." Sophia gave Merlin a look, as if asking if he was still feeling ill and it was leaving him brain-addled. "We just want to make sure we understood the grownups as they were talking."  
  
Freya nodded before grabbing at Merlin's shirt and looking up into his eyes, giving him the expression they knew he couldn't resist. "Can we keep him?"  
  
Merlin blinked, looking down at his daughter. "Keep him?"  
  
"We'll take good care of him, daddy." Sophia promised, pulling out a list from her pocket. "I've already gone over the chores of taking care of him, and between Freya and I we split them. I'll get him up in the morning for school, Freya will make sure he dresses adequately, we'll take him out so that he doesn't get bored...and give him snacks if he behaves."  
  
Merlin looked at his daughters in dismay. "Darlings, he's not a puppy."  
  
"I know. I would have added house-training on the list if he were." Sophia pouted up at Merlin as if he was saying silly things. "He's our brother, he's ours, we wanna keep him."  
  
"We'll take good care of him." Freya added. "And I'll help him with his homework since we both know that Sophia's an utter disaster at schoolwork."  
  
"I get bored." The redheaded twin defended herself hotly. "And I will teach him how to...uhm...play poker. And...other useful stuff."  
  
"You could always teach him how to pick pockets." Freya decided.  
  
"Brilliant idea Frey!" Sophia grinned.  
  
Merlin frowned. "Sophia Sidhe Emrys, you  _pickpocket_?!?"  
  
"Daddy, now is  _not_  the time to be changing the subject." Sophia quickly sidestepped the issue. "We're talking about Mordred here. You should pay attention to what is  _important_  at the moment."  
  
Merlin looked at his daughters, completely at the mercy of their pleading expressions.  
  
"You realize that that is emotional blackmail." A voice announced from the doorway, and as one, three heads turned to see Arthur Pendragon there, leaning against the doorframe, one hand on the shoulder of a surprised yet shy and pleased looking Mordred.  
  
"Yes." Sophia nodded. "We mightn't be proud of the method, but it's effective."  
  
Merlin groaned and brought a hand to his eyes.  
  
Arthur chuckled. "My father would like you."  
  
Merlin tore his hand from his face and looked towards Arthur again, curious, wondering why he and Mordred were here.  
  
"I figured that this was the best time to talk to the kids." Arthur shrugged, as if able to read Merlin's mind, looking slightly uncomfortable as he ushered his son in and closed the door behind him. "Plus, if I had to stay in the same room as Morgana for any longer I'd go insane."  
  
Mordred look amused, and not at all sympathetic.  
  
Arthur took in a deep breath. "So, this has been very eventful, hasn't it?"  
  
"That's an understatement." Sophia snorted.  
  
Freya cleared her throat.  
  
Sophia made a face. "Sorry."  
  
Mordred bit his lip to keep from grinning.  
  
Arthur noticed this, and for a moment he looked awed, before he smiled and looked back up at Merlin.  
  
It was amazing how seeing a smile on his son's face was enough to light up Arthur's.  
  
Merlin couldn't help but like the prat just a little more because of it.  
  
"Aunt Morgana said that you didn't know magic was real." Freya was talking to Mordred. "That must be...kinda nice, sometimes."  
  
Mordred shrugged.  
  
"Everyone other than Auntie Gwen has something." Freya continued, climbing off of her father's knee so she could get a better look at her little brother. "Auntie Morgana and I can See things---its from mom's side of the family. Sophia has the ability to sense the weakness in her opponents, and dad's in the closet."  
  
Merlin choked on his saliva, looking at Arthur in near desperation. "Magic-wise!"  
  
Arthur blinked.  
  
Mordred looked a mixture of amused and concerned, looking at his father, before turning to Freya.  
  
"Auntie Morgana says you have magic in you too." Freya finished. "The curse must have activated it. So we need to find out what magic you have, and then Auntie Morgana or daddy can help you learn to control it."  
  
"We won't force anything." Merlin was quick to reassure Arthur, helping Sophia to her feet before standing as well. "But he has magic in him, its what was holding off the curse for so long. Magic isn't like any other talent, once its activated you have to learn control over it or it will control you."  
  
"And you usually end up bonkers." Sophia nodded.  
  
Mordred pressed back harder against his father, gulping at that.  
  
"Sophia, stop scaring him." Merlin ruffled her hair.  
  
"Da-dee!" She cried out, hands to her hair. "Do you  _know_  how long it took aunt Gwen to get my hair looking like this?!?"  
  
Merlin sighed, feeling a little guilty, and his eyes went gold as the hair fixed itself high on her head in an elegant style that was way too mature for her age, but the kid pulled off with surprising ease.  
  
Sophia went still, feeling the hairstyle with her hands, before giggling and turning to Mordred. "Isn't that cool? And he only does something like that when I guilt trip him into it!"  
  
"Sophia Sidhe Emrys!"  
  
Sophia winced. "Oops."  
  
Freya shared amused looks with Mordred.  
  
And Arthur, Arthur was laughing. "This is insane." He shook his head, looking at the girl. "But so many things have happened that I can't--- _insane_!"  
  
Merlin cleared his throat, looking away. "So, lets all sit down, the bed is big enough for us---."  
  
"And if it isn't he can always make it bigger." Freya whispered to Mordred.  
  
"---and we can talk about this." Merlin replied, feeling a little shy for some reason as he sat down on his side of the bed.  
  
Arthur nodded, going to sit on the other, looking at Merlin in utter curiosity and fascination.  
  
The children just smiled at each other.


	4. Chapter Four

"There's something  _seriously_  wrong with that woman."  
  
Merlin smirked in amusement as he leaned over his newest creation. He was a book cover design artist, specializing in Children's Books, and was currently working on the cover of what promised to be the next Harry Potter series. "I'm going to take a huge intuitive guess and decide you're whining about Morgana."  
  
" _Mer_ lin." During the two months they'd known each other, Arthur had gotten a penchant for acting like a prat, for whining about Morgana, and for enunciating Merlin's name like that. "I do not  _whine_. I'm just stating that obviously that whole family has problems."  
  
"Don't bring Morgause into this." Merlin frowned. "Morgana might be her sister but she's nothing like her."  
  
"True." Arthur admitted. "Morgana's  _intimidating_."  
  
Once again the amusement chased away annoyance. "Are you, the great Arthur Pendragon, admitting to being intimidated by a woman?"  
  
"Not at all." Arthur scoffed. "She's  _obviously_  a man in drag."  
  
Merlin burst out laughing, not having heard that one before. "Are you still sensitive about Morgana telling you that you  _obviously_  had to have been the female in your relationship with Morgause?"  
  
Arthur growled at Merlin for reminding him of that comment.  
  
Ever since they'd met each other, Morgana and Arthur had been at each other's throat. Honestly, it was as if they were a cat and a dog, or a brother and a sister, or something. Merlin would have thought that they liked each other and were in denial if it wasn't for the fact that Morgana was terminally lesbian and utterly devoted to Gwen...and Arthur seemed unable to believe that Morgana was truly a human being and not a cyborg sent from the future with the sole purpose of making his life miserable.  
  
"So, how's the cover going?" Arthur asked after a moment.  
  
"It's coming..." Merlin sighed, leaning back in his seat and looking at his outline with a critical eye. "It's still the first draft---I just can't get a sense of what the most important part of the book is yet. It's what I usually base the cover off of."  
  
"What about an important part of the end?" Arthur offered.  
  
"I don't want to give away the whole plot!" Merlin gasped.  
  
"What about something from the first couple of chapters then?" The blonde asked.  
  
"It's actually a little boring the first couple of chapters." Merlin felt horrible for admitting. "But it picks up around the fifth chapter and gets interesting then."  
  
"If it took that long I'd never finish it." Arthur snorted. "I've never been much for reading myself, but if the bloody book didn't manage to get my attention by the third chapter then I didn't continue."  
  
Merlin made a face and sighed, eyes still on his design. A lot of people were like Arthur in that aspect, and Merlin worried about the book because of it. The story was entertaining and enrapturing, but it took a while to convince you of its worth.  
  
He sighed again.  
  
"Stop frowning, you'll get wrinkles."  
  
"Soph's my daughter---I've had wrinkles since she was born!" Merlin chuckled, looking up at the clock and pushing away from the table. "Mordred's been reading the manuscript for me to see what he found the most impressive part. He should finish it by today after doing his homework with the girls."  
  
"That's child labor, Emrys." Came the teasing.  
  
"The kid enjoys it." Merlin scoffed, making a face at Arthur although he knew that the other man couldn't see him. "And anyway, I'm going to have to pick up the girls and Mordred in a couple of minutes."  
  
"Is it that time already?" Arthur asked in surprise. "The whole morning has flown by when you're having fun."  
  
"What exactly do you do?" Merlin asked for maybe the hundredth time. It was a point of annoyance in him that Arthur seemed to spend his day calling Merlin at various hours to complain about this or that or just to talk, and yet the man lived the lifestyle of the rich and famous if his clothes and cars had anything to say about it. Obviously he did something he got a lot of money for, but Arthur would always sidestep the issue whenever Merlin brought it up, and Mordred had admitted to not knowing what his father or grandfather did. So, deciding that he wasn't desperate enough to try and Google Arthur and Uther Pendragon, Merlin had resolved to annoy the blonde until he broke and finally told him.  
  
" _Mer_ lin." Arthur sighed. "Why do we have to talk about this again?"  
  
"Again?" Merlin raised an eyebrow. "Arthur, when have we talked about this? I've asked, you've sidestepped, just like you're doing now."  
  
"What I do isn't important." Arthur's voice was getting a little hard. "What matters is that Mordred stays with you in the evenings after school, and that he has utterly fallen in love with you and the girls, and he's safe and protected with you. What matters is that Mordred doesn't have to be cooped up in the house every night because he spends many nights just sleeping over yours, playing games till ungodly hours of the night with the twins beating them at poker."  
  
Merlin smiled despite himself at that.  
  
Sophia rued the day she'd taught Mordred to play poker.  
  
"What matters is that my son is smiling...has been ever since he met you."  
  
Merlin ducked his head, unsure why he felt embarrassed all of a sudden.  
  
"And...and I enjoy the sanctuary your house is, Merlin." Arthur sounded a bit uncomfortable. "Even if 'that woman' is around, Gwen is usually there to hold her reigns---god bless that brave soul---or I can always retire to the safety of my room."  
  
Merlin smiled, going to the window and looking out at the sky, at the clouds that promised rain. "Your room?"  
  
"Well, Mordred's and my room. Same difference."  
  
Merlin chuckled.  
  
The second guest bedroom had somehow become Mordred and Arthur's room. It was the room that Mordred slept in whenever he'd sleep over, which was becoming more and more frequent, and it was also the room Arthur would collapse in if he came to pick up Mordred after staying at work to an ungodly time of the night, and Merlin refused to let the red-eyed and obviously exhausted man drive home.  
  
In these two months the two families had tried spending as much time together for the children's sakes, and yet Merlin had to admit that he was enjoying having Arthur around. Even if he was a prat.  
  
"Do you have an umbrella with you?" Merlin asked as he grabbed his coat and pulled it on. "Looks like it's going to rain."  
  
"Does it?" Arthur asked, the sound of a chair rolling around and blinds being opened clearly heard. "Bugger."  
  
Merlin snorted as he reached for his keys and put them into his coat pocket as he went to put on his shoes. "Well, I"m going to go pick up the kids now, so you go and do whatever mysterious work it is you do."  
  
"Thank you for your permission." Arthur's voice dripped of sarcasm before he chuckled. "Well, see you at home. Oh, and  _Mer_ lin, try not to get in an accident while driving our kids?"  
  
And he hung up before Merlin could retaliate.  
  
"That prat." Merlin shook his head with a smile as he grabbed an umbrella and headed out to pick the children up.  
  
The whole drive he couldn't help but wonder, once more, what exactly it was that Arthur did.  
  
Obviously he was important and made a lot of money.  
  
But why keep his profession such a secret?  
  
It wasn't as if he was some spy for the crown or something.  
  
He parked outside of St. Augustine's, since it was closer to his place than the girls' school, and got out, opening his umbrella and holding it above him as the first drops of rain began to fall. The tall, thin man made his way to the gated entrance of the illustrious school and waved a greeting to Barty the guard, who smiled and waved back, used to seeing Merlin now. The father of two looked around at the many young faces waiting for their parents to pick them up, and frowned in a moment's concern when he couldn't see Mordred.  
  
"Merlin!"  
  
Turning at the sound of the boy's voice, Merlin smiled at him. "You had me worried."  
  
Mordred was walking with a beautiful, dark haired woman. "Sorry Merlin, Ms. Nimueh wanted to meet you." He led the woman (who was also protected by an umbrella) to Merlin and smiled. "Merlin, this is my homeroom and Latin professor, Ms. Nimueh---Ms. Nimueh, this is Merlin."  
  
"I've heard so much about you Merlin." Nimueh offered him a bright smile and her hand, shaking his. "I needed to meet you for myself."  
  
"I still can't believe kids his age are learning Latin." Merlin chuckled, shaking her hand as well. "It's nice to meet you, Ms. Nimueh."  
  
"Please, just call me Nimueh." She smiled at him as their fingers slipped out of the other's hold. "Mordred. Would you go wait with Bayard for a moment so I can talk to Merlin?"  
  
"Yes ma'am." Mordred nodded and went to the boy under the blue umbrella.  
  
Nimueh waited until he was out of hearing to turn to Merlin once more. "I don't know what you've done to the kid, but I must thank you for it."  
  
Merlin blinked, a little confused. "I haven't done anything to him."  
  
"But you have." Nimueh smiled, twirling her umbrella slightly. "You probably wouldn't realize it because you didn't know how Mordred was before, but he's changed since you started taking care of him. He actually smiles in class, and he laughed out loud the other day! Everyone was so surprised!" She chuckled at the memory. "Don't get me wrong, everyone loves Mordred, but he's always been so reserved, so serious. I know his father loves him but sometimes kids need more than that, and you're obviously giving him something that he was missing in his life." Her gaze went to Mordred and it turned tender. "That boy is special, he's bright and charming and now he has all the little girls half in love with him since they've figured out how handsome he is now that he smiles."  
  
Merlin grinned at the thought. "He's a lady's man, is he?"  
  
"Oh, I think he's still at the age where he believes girls have cooties." Nimueh confessed with a conspirator's whisper. "But he's beginning to grow into himself more. That's good."  
  
"Yeah, it is." Merlin nodded, eyes on Mordred as well.  
  
"I know this may be forward of me, but how long have you and Mister Pendragon been together?" Nimueh asked.  
  
Merlin choked on saliva and turned to look at her, eyes wide. " _Pardon_?"  
  
She blushed slightly. "I hope you don't think I'm condemning you, I'm actually very much in favor of anyone being able to love whomever they choose. I'm just very curious. Mordred---he speaks of you so fondly, and according to him he practically lives with you and your daughters---and he calls them his sisters and so..."  
  
"Oh.  _Oh_!" Merlin ducked his head and laughed, a little relieved even though his heart was still racing. "No, uh, I don't think Mordred has explained the situation properly." He was blushing and he knew it as he looked at her curious blue eyes. "My daughters are Mordred's sister. They have the same mother. None of us knew this until a couple of months back, and since the kids love each other Mordred spends most of his time with the girls, which is why he's always over at my house."  
  
Nimueh's eyes widened. "Oh. I thought---oh."  
  
Merlin chuckled and nodded.  
  
"Isn't that...awkward?" Nimueh asked curiously.  
  
"Nah." Merlin smiled. "We love him dearly."  
  
Her face broke out in a smile and she reached over to pat his cheek. "You're a good man, Merlin Emrys. I'm glad Mordred has you in his life."  
  
Merlin felt his face going hot red.  
  
"Let's go." A dark, unhappy voice said by Merlin's side, startling the grownups into noticing Mordred and Nimueh into removing her hand from Merlin's cheek. The young boy's face had clouded over, his eyes narrowed as he reached for Merlin's hand. "Let's go Merlin. Dad told me he'd be coming home early this evening. Lets _go_."  
  
"Mordred, I'm talking to your teacher." Merlin frowned at the boy, confused as to his suddenly dark mood. "Don't be rude."  
  
Mordred looked down and to the side, eyes dark with displeasure, his grip tightening on Merlin's hand. "Merlin, dad wants to cook us dinner tonight. You should be there."  
  
Merlin's eyes widened in horror as he remembered the last time Arthur had tried to cook something. "He's cooking us dinner? He'll burn my home to the ground!" The man turned to Nimueh. "It was nice meeting you, Nimueh, but I have to go pick up my girls and rush home before that prat burns it down!"  
  
Nimueh looked amused and nodded. "Good luck."  
  
He grinned. "Thanks! I'll need it!"  
  
Mordred seemed way too happy to begin pulling Merlin away from Nimueh and towards the car.  
  
The man allowed himself to be pulled, trying to keep the umbrella between them so the boy didn't get wet. "Is there something bothering you?"  
  
"No." Came the curt answer.  
  
Merlin raised an eyebrow. "You can tell me, you know, if there's something wrong."  
  
"Nothing's wrong." Mordred insisted, opening the front passengers door and getting in, closing the door behind him loudly.  
  
Confused as to what had brought on the mood, Merlin waited there a second before going to the driver's side, getting in, and driving towards his daughters' school.  
  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I think you overreacted." Sophia announced, laying on her stomach as she went over her homework.  
  
"She was  _touching_  him." Mordred frowned as he and Freya were in the same position, doing theirs as well. "It looked like flirting to me."  
  
Freya frowned slightly. "Maybe he didn't overreact. Maybe she  _is_  interested in papa."  
  
Sophia stopped writing and looked up at that. "Will you two stop worrying? Daddy isn't going to all of a sudden decide he likes some random bint, okay?" Her eyes narrowed on Freya. "And anyway, you and I have chased away any woman who's been interested in him in the past, what makes this one so much different?"  
  
Freya sighed. "I don't know. I just worry."  
  
"You worry about everything." Sophia admonished before sitting up. "Listen to them."  
  
Freya and Mordred went silent, listening to their parents' voices in the kitchen.  
  
 _"You're burning my pots!"  
  
"I'm not doing any such thing, Merlin. You just have crappy pots. I'll buy you new ones first thing tomorrow."  
  
"I don't want new pots! I want you to stop destroying the ones I already have!"  
  
"Stop being such a girl Merlin! Be a man! Toughen up! Forget about the pots!"  
  
"..."  
  
"Ouch! Merlin! You hit me with the wok!"  
  
"You told me to toughen up, didn't you?"  
  
"Why you cheeky, skinny little man!"  
  
"Hey! I'm taller than you!"  
  
"Face my wrath!"  
_  
The sound of food being thrown around and muffled laughter erupted from the kitchen.  
  
 _"I hope you know you're cleaning this all up."  
  
"Merlin, what good is magic if you don't use it for these sorts of things?"  
  
"Hey! Don't abuse my magic! I don't use it for trivial things like cleaning!"  
  
"Then don't complain when you help me clean later."  
  
There was a sigh. "Why does 'help me clean' ALWAYS end up with ME doing all the work?"  
  
"Because you don't use your magic?"  
_  
Sophia turned to the others and smiled. "See? Everything is perfectly fine between them. This Miniway hasn't changed anything."  
  
"Nimueh." Mordred corrected.  
  
"Don't _caaaaaaarrrrrre_." Sophia singsonged, laying back down on her stomach. "And anyway, everything's bee going according to plan. I mean, they're getting along smashingly on their own. I even haven't had to resort to my list."  
  
Freya and Mordred exchanged looks at mention of The List.  
  
 _"What's that smell?"  
  
"It's burning! Arthur you nitwit! The food's on fire! Again!"  
  
"It's your stove, Merlin. You just have a crappy stove. I'll buy you a new one first thing tomorrow."  
_  
The scent of smoke was the only warning they had before the fire sprinkler system went off.  
  
Again.  
  
 _"Arthur..."_ Merlin growled.  
  
 _"I'll buy you new furniture first thing tomorrow."  
  
"Arthur."  
  
"I wanted take out food anyway."  
  
"Arthur!"  
  
"Merlin, put the spatula down!"  
  
"ARTHUR!"  
_  
The kids, drenched in water from the sprinkler system, just giggled.  
  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"I can't believe you attacked me with a  _spatula_." Arthur chuckled as he finished the mopping.  
  
Merlin had had to use his magic to save the electronics and the furniture from water damage, but he'd refused to use it for anything else and had forced Arthur to help him mop.  
  
"Be glad I didn't have a mincer at hand." Merlin chuckled, surveying the result of their hard work. "You're forevermore banned from the kitchen."  
  
"I'm telling you---."  
  
"No---don't even start." Merlin cut him off with a chuckle.  
  
 _"You cheated!"_  Sophia's voice could be heard complaining, from where the kids were playing some game after eating the pizza that had been ordered.  
  
 _"No, you just suck at this."_ Mordred replied easily.  
  
 _"I do not!"_  Sophia whined.  
  
 _"Will you two just stop arguing?"_  Freya sounded tired.  
  
 _"I will if he lets me win at least **one game**!" _ Sophia proclaimed.  
  
 _"You're such a girl."_  Mordred sighed.  
  
 _"Of course I am!"_  Sophia retorted hotly.  
  
Arthur and Merlin shared a look before chuckling.  
  
"They really are getting along well, huh?" Arthur asked.  
  
"Yeah, as if they grew up together all their lives." Merlin agreed, putting away the mops in the storage closet.  
  
"You---this home---it's all been very good for Mordred." Arthur cleared his throat. "I'm going to be out of the country for a few days and I don't want to leave Mordred with my father. I was wondering if he could stay here." There was a pause. "I know he'd enjoy it better and I'd feel more at peace if I knew he was with you."  
  
For some reason that touched Merlin and he nodded, turning to Arthur. "Mordred's always welcomed here."  
  
Arthur smiled at Merlin in an odd way that made him somewhat nervous. "You know, you'd make a  _great_  wife."  
  
Merlin's eyes widened. " _Pardon_?"  
  
Arthur chuckled and patted Merlin on the shoulder. "You always get flustered so easily!" And with that he walked out the kitchen to go see what the kids were up to.  
  
Merlin just followed him with his gaze, confused as to why his heart was racing so rapidly all of a sudden.


	5. Chapter Five

"No, no." Arthur shook his head tie loosened and hanging crookedly around his neck, the first couple of buttons open, revealing hints of golden chest hair that secretly fascinated the hairless-like-a-baby Merlin. "If you want to get back at the bully, the subtle art is much more effective than just going up to him and punching him."  
  
Sophia made a face. "But I  _really_  wanna punch him."  
  
"Think of it this way, go straight in and get your moment's satisfaction with months worth of consequences, or wait a while and get months worth of satisfaction." Arthur coaxed.  
  
Merlin was trying to concentrate on Freya's homework as he helped the tiny brunette, but parts of what Arthur was telling Sophia and Mordred was beginning to filter in.  
  
"Honestly." Sophia announced. "What could be more satisfying than to see him cry like a little bi---?"  
  
"Sophia Sidhe Emrys!" Merlin snapped at her.  
  
She winced. "Baby?"  
  
He raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Papa, I was going to say little bitty baby." Sophia assured, smiling so innocently a halo could have been hovering over her red locks.  
  
Not even Freya looked convinced by the act, though.  
  
"How about getting him expelled?" Mordred asked simply, looking a little bored with the conversation, laying his head against the surface of the table.  
  
"Could I get him expelled?!?" Sophia looked utter elated at the thought.  
  
"Course!" Arthur smirked. "And if you do exactly as I say and---."  
  
"Arthur." Merlin growled, giving up on Freya's homework for the time being. "What exactly are you teaching my daughter?"  
  
"Something I should be ashamed for ever suggesting?" Arthur sounded like he was asking if that was the answer Merlin wanted to hear.  
  
Merlin glared at him.  
  
Arthur began to look a little nervous. "Merlin, I was joking. You know I was."  
  
"He wasn't joking." Mordred informed bluntly. "He helped me get the guy bullying me expelled."  
  
"Not. Helping." Arthur glared at his son with no heat.  
  
Mordred just grinned slightly evilly.  
  
"Merlin, are you sure it's okay for you to drive me to the airport tomorrow morning?" Arthur asked, changing the subject in a completely obvious way. "I could always get the driver to come and pick me up, you know."  
  
"The kids want to see you off, and it's a saturday anyway, its not like they're going to be late for school." Merlin shrugged, accepting the change of topic because he knew that Arthur was going to weasel him out of his bad humor anyway. The prat had a super power that kept Merlin from being angry or offended by him for very long. It was quite unfair. "Anyway, it's not going to be a problem anyway. And its got to be...I don't know...lonely to look back just as you're about to board and not see anyone there waving you goodbye."  
  
Arthur was looking at him in that odd way again, that way that made Merlin somewhat uncomfortable. "You are such a girl, Merlin."  
  
Merlin chuckled, shaking his head, the unease leaving. "And you're such an utter prat."  
  
Arthur smiled brightly at him before reaching over and ruffling Mordred's hair. "Going to miss me?"  
  
Mordred snorted and rolled his eyes.  
  
Arthur chuckled, turning to smile at Merlin. "I feel the love."  
  
"How long are you going to be gone for, A-Arthur?" Freya still stammered every single time she had to call Arthur by his name. The child obviously felt more comfortable by calling him Mister P...but Arthur had felt it sounded far to much like urine for his tastes, and had insisted and insisted until he'd won the shy kid to his side.  
  
"Not long, maybe two weeks." Arthur replied.  
  
Freya pouted. "But you told me you'd take me horseback riding! You promised!"  
  
Merlin raised an eyebrow. When had Arthur promised her that?  
  
"And I will, princess," Arthur smiled at her, leaning over the table to tap her on her small, upturned nose. "Just as soon as I come back, I promise. I'll make you ride the prettiest pony in the world."  
  
"With a blonde mane with ribbons on it?" Freya grinned.  
  
"'Course." Arthur captured her nose in between two of his curled fingers and gave it a soft shake. "Pendragons never go back on their word, Princess Frey. So don't worry, deal?"  
  
"Deal." Freya giggled, pulling her nose from his soft grip, grinning brightly before sticking her tongue out at her twin. "Hear that Soph? I'm the princess."  
  
Sophia shrugged, not seeming much bothered by that. "You can be the princess. Auntie Morgana assured me that the wicked witches have more fun anyway."  
  
"Oh boy." Merlin slumped in his seat.  
  
Sophia pouted, pursing her lips. "You know, as thrilling as this conversation is not, I have a valid life or death situation, which everyone could show a little more pity about."  
  
"Right." Merlin nodded, trying to hide the smile on his face. "The Terrible Case of the Boy Who Had A Crush On Sophia Emrys. Horrid, truly. Shouldn't be told before bedtime."  
  
Sophia's mouth fell open, her expression outraged. "Leon Knight does not have a crush on me! He's icky!"  
  
"He's not." Freya pouted at her sister. "He's cute."  
  
"He has braces." Sophia eyed her sister with a disbelieving look.  
  
"It just means his teeth are going to be nicer than yours when we're teenagers." Freya defended.  
  
Sophia narrowed her eyes. "His glasses are so thick they make his eyes look like bugs eyes."  
  
"Contacts." Freya answered easily.  
  
"He's a geek!" Sophia cried out, starting to look horrified.  
  
"He's awkward, there's a difference." Freya folded her arms over her chest.  
  
"He--he--his head barely reaches my shoulders!" Sophia leaned over the table, hands palm down on the surface.  
  
"His whole family are giants. And his elder brother Percy was short too until he turned thirteen and now he's nearly seven feet all." Freya smirked, clearly winning this and enjoying it.  
  
"Wait a moment." Arthur frowned, turning to Sophia. "A braces wearing, bug-glasses wearing  _nerd_  who  _barely_  reaches your shoulder is this big 'bully' you've been complaining about?"  
  
Sophia turned to him, mouth opening and closing wordlessly.  
  
"Bad form, Soph." Arthur snorted, shaking his head. "Utterly bad form!"  
  
Pouting, the redhead sat back down and folded her arms over her chest sulkily. "Whatever happened to family solidarity? I come home, to my family, and what do I find? Traitors! Sympathizers of the Dark Side. Leon has you all under his evil spell! I'll punch him for sure when I get to school tomorrow!"  
  
"You're going to make him cry again." Freya pouted. "You always make him cry and then _I_ have to be the one to listen to him wail about how mean you are!"  
  
"He should man up a bit, and stop being such a whimp." Sophia pouted. "I swear, he's frailer than a puppy physically, but he's an emotional puppy! He's constantly using psychology to get into people's minds and twist them into babying him and he gets away with murder!" She was getting red in the face, the small freckles on her nose bridge standing out more. "Everyone's all 'Poor Leon, Sophia's being mean to him' or 'Poor Leon, he's so sweet, why does he let Sophia boss him around?' or 'Sophia, stop trying to force poor Leon to eat his crayons'! Today it even happened! I was innocently just minding my own business when the teacher came up to me and said: 'Sophia! Poor Leon's crying and you need to go an apologize to him!'. I didn't do anything to him!"  
  
"Other than spilling paint down his trousers." Freya mumbled.  
  
"I tripped and it spilled!" Sophia was quick to defend. "That was not intentional!"  
  
"And you made him give you all of the meat in his sandwich and switch it with your vegetables." Freya reminded.  
  
Sophia pouted. "I was looking out for his own good. Vegetables are healthy you know. Gees. Do a good deed and you get crucified!"  
  
"You also told him when he got older he'd grow boobs and start bleeding from his penis once a month." Freya announced pointblank.  
  
" _Sophia_!!" Merlin gasped, horrified.  
  
The redhead winced and slid a little lower in her seat, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. "He didn't actually have to  _believe_  me. I mean,  _everyone_  knows that boys only get hairier down there. Not that that's  _fair_  or anything!"  
  
"That's it!" Merlin brought his hand to his face. "I should  _never_  have let Morgana have The Talk with you two when you started asking questions!"  
  
"Why?" Freya asked curiously. "Auntie Morgana was most informative. There was a slide show and everything."  
  
" _Slide show_." Merlin bemoaned. "You're way too young to be discussing things like menstruation and males...things...and sex so flippantly!" He turned to Arthur for support but realized that the blonde was just barely keeping from laughing.  
  
He was seriously no help whatsoever.  
  
"Okay you three." Merlin sighed. "Go and bathe and get ready to go to bed. We all have to get up early to take Arthur to the airport."  
  
Sophia pouted as she stormed away, mumbling about betrayal and mutiny. Freya and Mordred rolled their eyes as they followed.  
  
Only after they were gone did Arthur burst into laughter. "Priceless!"  
  
"Stop enjoying this so much." Merlin whined, leaning back against his seat.  
  
"But they're just priceless! Like a comic duo!" Arthur chuckled, wiping at his eyes. "Freya with her no-nonse yet utter sweetness, and Sophia with her unrepentant attitude and utter sauciness...!" He began to laugh a little harder once more. "You should have seen your face when Freya said penis! It was so funny!"  
  
Merlin would have pouted if he were less mature. "Stop it. It was scarring."  
  
Arthur just continued to laugh.  
  
Merlin rolled his eyes at the prat, waiting for him to calm down.  
  
When it didn't seem like that was about to happen any time soon, Merlin shrugged it off and asked a question that'd been intriguing him for a while now. "Have you ever thought of marrying again?"  
  
All laughter halted.  
  
Arthur frowned slightly, giving Merlin a curious look. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"Well, I've wondered about it sometimes, you know, giving my girls a mother." Merlin admitted. "I know that they have all the motherly love Gwen and Morgana have to offer, but it's different when it come from a parents, isn't it? And I know you don't actually have to be related to that person to feel parental bonds---Gwen and I were raised by people who weren't our birth parents but whom we love as if they were."  
  
"I remember you telling me that." Arthur nodded, leaning back in his seat. "And to be perfectly honest, I have thought about getting married and giving Mordred a mother. I know you don't like people badmouthing the mother of your daughters, but she's also the mother of my son so that rule doesn't apply to me. Morgause was a shitty mother, who left just as soon as she'd given birth. She took the money I promised her in exchange for not aborting our son when she found out she was pregnant, and then disappeared until I got her divorce request and happily gave it to her." He sighed, taking in a deep breath. "I'm a little worried about making another horrendous judgement of character, but I also think like you do. Not only is the thought of Morgana mothering my child somewhat scary, but I'd like to give Mordred a mother, a real mother."  
  
"Do you have anyone in mind?" Merlin asked, leaning forwards, curious.  
  
"No, not really. The type of women I meet aren't exactly motherly material." Arthur made a face. "Then again, there is one woman...her name's Vivian. She's very sweet, and according to her she's always wanted kids yet never found the right person to have them with." The blonde sighed. "And she's...pretty. Very pretty."  
  
"What's the problem?" Merlin frowned, knowing there was one in there somewhere.  
  
"She looks...like Morgause." Arthur admitted. "So it's a total turn off. Whenever I see someone who reminds me of that woman I just want to wring their necks. It's turned me off of blondes completely. I can't even be moderately attracted to a blonde anymore. It's like I can only be attracted to the complete opposite of Morgause. Dark hair, with light colored eyes."  
  
Merlin pursed his lips, surprised to the degree that Morgause had scarred Arthur. "I don't really have that problem myself." He admitted. "I quite like blondes still. Blondes are actually my type. Always have--always will be."  
  
"Should I be worried?" Arthur teased.  
  
Merlin burst out into laughter. "Don't know." He teased back, amused. "You're actually very much my type." He pretended to be heartbroken. "Too bad you're the wrong model."  
  
Arthur snorted. "I could turn you."  
  
"Course you could." Merlin nodded.  
  
There was silence before they burst out into laughter once more.  
  
It was amazing that he actually got along with the prat.  
  
"You know..." Arthur eyed Merlin with a raised eyebrow. "It would have been  _convenient_  if you were a woman."  
  
"Excuse me?" Merlin gasped. "How would  _that_  have been convenient?!?"  
  
"Well, I could marry you." Arthur pointed out as if this was obvious. "I would adopt your girls, I mean, they're basically my family anyway. And you would have been the perfect mother for Mordred. Of course, I'd have to overlook your anorexic body and your inhuman ears---but your cheekbones make up for them."  
  
Merlin felt a little like blushing, so it just added to the glare on his face. " _So_  not funny anymore."  
  
"I know, its a little depressing." Arthur frowned. "I mean, everything would have been so much nicer if you were a girl. I'd marry you on the spot! Even if you  _were_  an ugly girl."  
  
Merlin continued to glare. "And why would I be the girl of the relationship? You're the pretty one here."  
  
Arthur's mouth widened in horror. "Did you just call me pretty?!?"  
  
"And your mouth. It clearly is a girl's mouth."  
  
"Is not!" Arthur exclaimed. "I'll have you know this is a  _very_  manly mouth!"  
  
"S'not." Merlin disagreed. "Very feminine."  
  
"Well obviously, Merlin, you're eyesight is as poor as your fashion style!" Arthur growled. "Lemme give you a closer look you blind bat!" Leaning over the table he reached for Merlin with reflexes of a cheetah reached his hand out and cupped the back of Merlin's head, pulling him forwards so that their faces were disturbingly close. "Take a good look, Emrys, at what a truly manly mouth looks like."  
  
Merlin gulped, eyes drawn to those lips as they moved with every word.  
  
It disturbed him, because being this close made Merlin realize that Arthur's lips were kinda pretty...in a purely lip way of course.  
  
He cleared his throat. "Sorry. They still look feminine to me."  
  
"Idiot." Arthur mumbled, letting go, his fingers threading through Merlin's hair as he did so leaning back in his seat. Still, he was smiling and shaking his head at Merlin.  
  
"Prat." Merlin muttered, just to try and make this weird vibe go away and return things to normal between them.  
  
Arthur grinned brightly. "Girl."  
  
"Don't make me turn you into one." Merlin grinned back.  
  
Arthur blinked, looking fascinated. "Can you? Do that I mean? Change someone's sex?"  
  
"Wouldn't  _you_  like to know?" Merlin replied saucily with a wink, channeling his inner Sophia, as he got up. "C'mon, we gotta tuck in the kids."  
  
\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Honshu, Japan?" Merlin blinked in surprised when he finally discovered Arthur's destination at the airport the next morning. "Do you even  _know_  Japanese?"  
  
" _Hai, baka._ " Arthur grinned cheekily, holding Freya up in his arms, resting her weight on his hip.  
  
"You just insulted me, didn't you?" Merlin narrowed his eyes suspiciously at him.  
  
"Wouldn't  _you_  like to know?" Arthur threw back at him.  
  
Sophia and Mordred pulled Arthur's suitcase behind them, sharing a grip on the handle.  
  
"It's going to be boarding time any minute now." Mordred informed his father. "You should probably get a move on it."  
  
Arthur smirked down at his son. "Please, control your emotional outbursts Mordred, they're embarrassing."  
  
Mordred rolled his eyes, but was grinning. "You're such a dork, dad."  
  
"And that's how I know he loves me." Arthur told Merlin, deadpanned. He then grinned brightly when Freya pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks sweetie, I'm going to miss your kisses."  
  
She pressed another one to his cheek. "Come back soon."  
  
"My turn! Stop hogging him!" Sophia stomped her foot.  
  
Arthur chuckled as he lowered Freya down and pulled the feisty redhead into a hug, smiling at Merlin as Sophia pressed a kiss to his cheek. "See Merlin? All the women love me. I'd definitely be the man."  
  
Merlin rolled his eyes, though couldn't hide his amusement from his face.  
  
Sophia pulled away and joined Freya at their father's side, leaving Mordred and Arthur looking at each other.  
  
Mordred stood the suitcase up and twisted his mouth slightly. "I'm not kissing you."  
  
Merlin couldn't keep back the snort/chuckle that erupted from him at that.  
  
"How about a hug then?" Arthur asked his son. "That's more manly."  
  
Mordred thought it over before nodding. "Okay."  
  
Hugging his son, Arthur held on tight. "Take care of Merlin, Soph and Frey while I'm gone, okay? Since Merlin's a big girl you'll be the male of the house."  
  
" _Oy_!" Merlin cried out.  
  
Mordred chuckled and tightened his hold on his father. "Only until you come back."  
  
Pulling back and pressing a kiss to the top of his son's head, Arthur chuckled. "I can agree to those terms." Ruffling his son's hair, Arthur hesitated, eyeing Merlin curiously. "Do we hug?"  
  
Merlin made a face. "We're too manly, I believe." He then gave a little shriek as two sets of hands pushed him forwards and he fell into Arthur's chest. "Then again I _could_  be wrong."  
  
"Merlin, if you wanted a hug, you could of just asked, not thrown yourself at me." Arthur's arms went around Merlin in a hug. "Bloody hell, Mer, you really are anorexic!"  
  
Merlin pushed away, glaring at the blonde. "Aren't you supposed to be gone by now?"  
  
Arthur smirked, looking utterly smug and content with having irritated Merlin one last time before leaving, and then headed towards the boarding entrance, pulling his suitcase behind him. The blonde moved fluidly, passing his boarding pass to the attendant, and after getting a half of it back, he hesitated a second before continuing on, turning and just looking at the four of them.  
  
The girls waved furiously.  
  
Merlin placed a hand around Mordred's shoulders and the boy leaned against him, both smiling at Arthur as Merlin gave a half wave.  
  
Arthur smiled brightly at them and then winked before turning and boarding.  
  
Merlin, Sophia, Freya and Mordred stayed at the airport and watched the airplane took off, waiting until it was a dot in the sky before turning and leaving.  
  
"I think we should see dad off more often." Mordred announced as they made their way to the car, his hand finding Merlin's and tightening as the girls talked up ahead. "I liked it."  
  
Merlin squeezed Mordred's hand. "I think your dad liked it too."  
  
Mordred smiled up at him before clearing his throat and looking down at his feet. "I never seen him smile like that before."  
  
There was no more talking after that.


	6. Chapter Six

"Honestly?" Mordred asked, twisting his mouth slightly as he considered, pale blue eyes serious and determined. "This one."  
  
"Why?" Merlin asked, curious, picking up the rough sketch Mordred had picked. On it were hastily drawn figures, one a young fourteen year old blonde in armor holding a sword, the other a slightly younger brunette with elfin ears, and the third figure, slightly behind the others, was a small dragon flying in the air, head thrown back and roaring fire into the air above them, giving them light. The boys were looking down into a pool, but their reflections were quite different to them, the blonde's a regal figure with a crown on his head, and the other's a darker and yet still regal looking male in a black cape with glowing purple eyes that stood out in the shadows of the hood. And the dragon in the reflection was large...and a little smug.  
  
"Well, it gives you a glimpse that there's secrets both boys are keeping from each other, Armand that he's the rightful heir to the throne of Albion, and Myrrdin that he's got a lot of darkness in him magicwise. Plus. I always figured that the dragon was a smug brute, so its nice to see him portrayed that way in drawing." Mordred replied. "Plus, in the other drawings you have the rival girls, Morwen and Gandis...and I can tell that the author is going to put them as future love interests for the boys and I don't like it."  
  
Merlin's gaze went to the girls on the rough sketches of the other covers he'd designed. "Why don't you like them as love interests for Armand and Myrrdin?"  
  
Mordred shrugged. "He set up the whole first book making you kinda love Armand and Myrrdin, and it feels kinda wrong to try and impose on the incredibly strong and important thing they finally achieve at the end, you know? They hated each other at first because Armand was a snob and was racist against Elves, and Myrrdin found Armand a giant idiot and was resentful when the dragon told him that it was his destiny to actually be by Armand's side and join not only all of Albion, but the human and Elvin worlds as well. And then they start having to be together as they try to make their way to the well of destiny and they end up saving each other's lives over and over again and develop this incredible bond and protectiveness of each other without Armand losing his snobbish ways or Myrrdin losing his naivety, each making up for what the other lacks." Mordred folded his arms over his chest. "It's just going to be a slap in the face to read girls trying to get in the middle of that."  
  
"How amusing."  
  
They turned when they heard that voice, seeing John Hurt standing in the doorway of Merlin's studio.  
  
"John!" Merlin blinked, seeing his old mentor and the author of the manuscript standing there. "Mordred, this is John Hurt."  
  
"The author?" Mordred asked.  
  
John nodded, smiling. "You must be Mordred. Merlin's told me a lot about me. I'm John."  
  
Mordred folded his arms over his chest. "If you put Morwen with Myrrdin and Gandis with Armand you will ruin the story."  
  
John chuckled. "I believe so as well."  
  
Mordred's expression lightened up as well. "Nice to meet you too." He turned to Merlin. "I'll let you two talk."  
  
"Thanks." Merlin smiled at him, watching as the boy rushed out of the room, before turning a raised eyebrow on his friend. "Isn't my front door locked?"  
  
"You expect an old dragon to reveal his secrets?" John scoffed, picking up the cover design Mordred had liked. "The boy's got good taste. I like this one too."  
  
"It's unanimous then, I'll get to work on the final draft." Merlin replied, leaning his hip against the table. "So how about you tell me why you decided to break into my house?"  
  
"Curiosity, really. And that, coupled with boredom and a  _terrible_  writer's block, sent me slightly insane." John admitted, clasping his hands behind his back and leaning down to get a better lock at the picture of Merlin, Arthur and the kids, which had been taken by Gwen some days ago. "Is  _this_  the chap Hunith is so anxious to meet?" John picked up the picture frame and looked at it.  
  
"Mum wants to meet Arthur?" Merlin asked in surprise. "Since when?"  
  
John, an old friend of Gaius and Hunith, put down the frame and smiled. "According to Morgana and Gwen's reports, the man and his son practically  _live_  here, Merlin. I'm surprised  _you're_  surprised." He paused, hearing the laughter of the kids. "They seem to get getting along splendidly."  
  
"The girls love Mordred, and he doesn't come out and say it, but he loves them too." Merlin smiled, nodding. "He's opened up so much, it's amazing. He smiles a lot, even if its a bit cunning. And he's such a bright kid."  
  
"Good, good." John nodded. "What about his father? How are you getting along with him? I mean, I know it must be well enough for him to have practically moved in, but I'm curious as to the sort of relationship you two have."  
  
"What do you mean?" Merlin frowned, confused.  
  
"Merlin Merlin." John sighed. "I was the one who caught you kissing Will that one time, remember?"  
  
Merlin brought a hand to his face. "Good lord, John, I can't believe you  _remembered_  that! Will and I were what? Five? We'd just finished watching the Lady and the Tramp and were trying the whole spaghetti thing! There was nothing romantic in it." He chuckled, amused. "I know you've been convinced I'm in the closet, but seriously man, I would have thought my  _marriage and offspring_  would have taken those blinders off your eyes!"  
  
"Sometimes, destiny gets sidetracked...or takes some time to get started." John mumbled in his usually cryptic way.  
  
"John, mate, I'm happy to know that if I were ever to come out of this proverbial closet you have me trapped in you'd be there to cheer me on, but it isn't the case. I'm as straight as...as something very straight."  
  
"'Ruler' would have worked." John pointed out.  
  
"Thank you." Merlin nodded. "Now if you can excuse yourself out of the home you just broke into, I have to take the kids to Gwen and Morgana's since I have some things I need to do."  
  
"You can't escape your destiny, young man." John followed him, seeming quite putout because of how Merlin really wasn't taking him seriously. Again. "Whether you like it or not, two sides of the coin are forever together, made one, with the help of the ties that bind."  
  
Merlin paused and turned to look at John. "What in God's name are you talking about?"  
  
John just sighed and walked away, letting himself out.  
  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Four days since he's been gone and he still hasn't given you a call?" Morgana glared as Gwen took the kids to see the kittens their cat had had the night before. "I don't like this, Merlin. He's obviously taking advantage of your good nature."  
  
Merlin was just supposed to drop the kids off and hurry on his way, but Morgana had grabbed onto his arm, yanked him inside, and started an interrogation. "He gave us a call to tell us that he got to his hotel, and since then he sends me texts. Its not like he's just abandoned Mordred to me. He checks up on him daily."  
  
"Through texts." Morgana raised an eyebrow. "Merlin, I am  _not_  impressed."  
  
"Has it ever occurred to you, Morgana, that you don't  _have_  to be?" Merlin grinned.  
  
Morgana snorted, as if that suggestion was truly ludicrous. "You're practically shacking up with that prat, Merlin. My approval  _is_  important, because if I don't like him, neither will Gwen!"  
  
Merlin raised an eyebrow.  
  
Morgana glared at him. "Well, she'll probably like him because of Mordred, but if I don't like him imagine what Mum and Da will start to think of him!"  
  
The young man had to give her that.  
  
Morgana had the love and respect of Hunith and Gaius, and they always listened to her opinions about people and things.  
  
The beautiful woman sighed, reaching out and brushing her fingers through his unruly hair in a motherly way. "I know you think this isn't really my business, Mer, but I just worry about you. You can be such an idiot most of the times, and its so easy to take advantage of you. And that man? I just want him to do the same thing that Morgause did. You know, use you until you have no more use or you're not interesting anymore, and then cast you aside."  
  
Merlin smiled at her, because he had already figured out that it was Morgana's protectiveness when it came to him that had her so distrustful of Arthur. "'Gana, there's a big difference between Morgause and Arthur. One being I'm not  _married_  to Arthur, and---."  
  
"You might as well be." Morgana snorted, interrupting. "Honestly Merlin, do you not realize how disgustingly domestic you two are? It's sickening, really. He's basically moved in and everything. I half expect to one day pay you an unexpected visit and find him sodomizing you on top of the kitchen table."  
  
Merlin choked on his saliva. "Morgana!"  
  
"It's true." She stressed, clearly bothered by this. "And it's frustrating, because if you're going to be playing Hide The Snake with the likes of His Pratness, it'd make me feel  _minutely_  better to know that the one with the pain in his arse was  _him_!"  
  
"Morgana, stop talking.  _Please_." Merlin begged, never having felt so mortified in his life. "And anyway, who says that the one doing the sodomizing wouldn't be me?"  
  
Morgana scoffed.  
  
He was vaguely insulted by her lack of belief in his sodomizing abilities.  
  
"Out of all of our ridiculous conversations, this one takes the cake." Merlin shook his head, amused despite his offense. "None of this makes any sense, because I'm not gay. I'm very much straight. I have two beautiful daughters to prove it." He ran a hand over his hair. "I really need to go. Just---remind Gwen that while you're helping Freya with her Sight Exercises, that Sophia needs to concentrate on her honing, and Mordred with his studies as well. He's been getting better, able to actually push a pencil back an inch during our last lesson, but it got him very tired, so make sure he doesn't push himself too hard. He tends to do that."  
  
"They'll be fine, Merlin." Morgana smiled. "Just go already before I continue with our last conversation."  
  
He pressed a kiss to her cheek and was out of the door as fast as humanly possible.  
  
His phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out, smirking when he saw a text message waiting for him from Arthur.  
  
 **Merlin, I'm so bored.**  
  
Rolling his eyes, the brunette got to his car and entered, before texting back.  
  
 _Rn't U supposed 2 b working?_  
  
Arthur texted back rather rapidly.  
  
 **What's with the cutting of the words?**  
  
 _Do U realize just HOW expensiv it is 2 text 2 Japn?  
_  
 **You're so cheap, Emrys.**  
  
 _Not every1 is rich u no._  
  
 **Augh! It's annoying me! Text the Queen's English for God's sake! I'm going to buy you a new phone when I get home. It'll be one with unlimited texting abilities so you can write proper messages when I'm in need of some distraction!**  
  
 _U want 2 b entertaind? Watch porn or something. Don't bother me n waste my money._  
  
 **I'm hurt and appalled. And intrigued. Have you WATCHED asian porn? It's about the kinkiest thing out there!**  
  
 _U watchd sum last night, didn't u?_  Merlin chuckled, shaking his head.  
  
 **I refrain from answering that.**  
  
 _Wow. It must have seriously traumatizd u!_  Merlin would be lying if he didn't admit that he was laughing at this point.  _So? What was it? What traumatized the Great Arthur Pendragon?  
_  
A couple of minutes passed without any response.  
  
Just when Merlin was about to give up on waiting and start the car, his phone buzzed again.  
  
 **I never said it traumatized me. I said it was kinky. And for your information, it was the most embarrassing thing ever. Apparently the company I'm dealing with finds watching porn with their colleagues a sort of 'bonding' thing. Something about the beast in man joining together in a hunt? I don't know. Some stupid thing like that. So I had to watch a train filled with men gangbang some very bad actress, another with bondage, another with some sister-in-law/brother-in-law shit, and the last was homosexual. I was nearly *dead* by the time we got out of that place. It was so late at night! And it was so awkward.**  
  
Merlin blinked, rereading that.  _Arthur Pendragon, what the HELL type of work do u do?!?!?_  
  
Another couple of minutes silence.  
 **  
How's Mordred doing?**  
  
 _Fine. I just left him and the girls with M and G.Merlin sighed, realizing he wasn't going to be getting an answer out of Arthur once again._  
  
 **How about the girls? Sophia still picking on Leon? Freya been able to sleep better? I've been worrying about her.**  
  
 _Merlin turned to look towards Morgana and Gwen's home. She's been having nightmares these last couple of nights since u've been gone. I think its because she's missing u. I think she feels a bit more safe with 2 men in the house 2 keep her safe, and she's feeling somewhat insecure again and its making her Sight go a little overreactive_.  
  
 **Bloody hell. Way to make a man feel guilty, Emrys.**  
  
 _Not intentional, mate. Sorry._  
  
 **What's she Seeing?**  
  
 _She's not sure. For the 1st time in a while she can't remember wen she wakes up. It's 1 of the reasons I wantd 2 leave her with M 2day, c if M can figure out what's going on._  
  
 **Tell Princess Frey that I'll be home soon. And Wicked Witch Sophia to let up on Leon. And...what did they decide Mordred was?**  
  
 _Undecided. Freya wants him 2 b her knight, to protect her kingdom, and Sophia wants him 2 b her rogue to help overthrow Sophia's kingdom. Mordred is remaining undecided until one of them can come up with an offer that interests him._  
  
 **That's my boy.**  
  
Merlin rolled his eyes and smiled.  _Well, I gotta go._  
  
 ****Why so soon?!?!  
  
 _Go watch porn! Alone this time!...Unless u've startd to enjoy watching it with asian men.  
_  
He laughed and threw his phone on the passenger's seat as he started the car, merging into the traffic, ignoring the furiously vibrating phone.  
  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Coming out of the bookstore, ladened down with things, Merlin halted when he noticed two large men standing by his small car. He frowned, narrowing his eyes, trying to remember where he'd seen those two men before.  
  
And then he remembered.  
  
They'd been two of Mordred's old bodyguards.  
  
The ones who'd tried to kidnap him.  
  
His eyes flashed gold as he went towards the men who had yet to notice him, before suddenly Nimueh appeared out of nowhere, wearing jeans and a hoodie, yanking him in the opposite direction and walking at a brisk pace, pulling him along after her.  
  
"Don't call any attention to yourself." She hissed, her hoodie up. "They haven't seen you yet."  
  
"You know who those men are." Merlin realized, looking down at the woman dressed completely different from the one he spoke to nearly every day at Mordred's school.  
  
"They aren't important to know, but I know who they work for, and Merlin, he's not someone you want to cross, believe me! And you've been crossing him, have been crossing him without realizing it, and while it makes me and mine quite impressed and amused, he is not amused. He wants Mordred, and not only is Mordred inaccessible to him at the school, but he's now inaccessible in your house and in that of your foster sister due to the magic of her girlfriend, the Seer Morgana, and the magic of her lineage. And thanks to his trying to get to Mordred, he's realized just how deep your magic is, and now his interest in on you as well, which is obvious by the fact that those minions were cursed to have whoever used magic on them have their magic drained temporarily. That way they could knock you out easily and take you to him."  
  
"How do you know all of this?" Merlin hissed, still letting her drag him away. "And who is  _him_?!?"  
  
She gave him an apologetic smile. "I've been researching you ever since Mr. Pendragon decided to trust you to take care of his son. At Saint Augustine's we've been keeping watch over Mordred, and we needed to make sure we could trust you with his safety during the hours he was away from the school. We were so relieved to realize that we could. But you and your family are in danger now, and we're going to have to tell you everything you don't know. Like, apparently, about the Pendragon family."  
  
Merlin narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"  
  
"I knew it." Nimueh sighed. "You don't know."  
  
"Don't know what?"  
  
She looked up at him with determination. " _Everything_."


	7. Chapter Seven

"Don't worry about the safety on your family." Nimueh announced as they entered an abandoned looking building, the beautiful woman only then puling the hoodie from her face. "We have had agents stations outside of your home, your sister and her girlfriend's home/work, your parents home, and of course, outside of Mister Pendragon's workplace and your daughters' school. You are all being protected, but we as an organization, believe that one cannot be truly safe unless you actually know you're in danger." They walked through the door, and suddenly the ground began to move...the floor of the room sliding down into the building like some sort of elevator.  
  
"I don't understand anything." Merlin frowned, holding onto his supplies tightly. "Why are we being 'protected'? Who is this man who is interested in Mordred? And what does Arthur's family have to do with anything?"  
  
"Oh, it has everything to do with the Pendragon family." Nimueh announced with a shake of her head as the floor came to a stop, to show a large, underground facility, filled with busy, working people. "Come with me. Let Lydia take your things---thank you Lydia." She looped her arm through Merlin's now free one. "We know you're magical, Merlin, so I don't have to go into how our kind have had to keep our powers hidden because of normal people and teh persecutions our kind have had to face."  
  
Merlin nodded, remembering the Burning Times and such.  
  
"Well, there are some families whose magic is purest, whose magical lineage can be traced to medieval times." Nimueh announced. "You, Mister Emrys, and Miss La Fey, each belong to one of the Five Purest families. Arthur Pendragon belongs to two of the remaining three."  
  
Merlin stopped walking, eyes widening. "That can't be! Arthur didn't know about magic before Mordred started to manifest!"  
  
"You're right, he didn't know." Nimueh agreed. "But it doesn't mean that it isn't true. The Emrys, Le Fey, Pendragon, Tintagel and Sigan are the Five Pure Bloodlines, the most powerful ones, which is why he had his eye on Mordred. Not only did Mordred have Tinatgel and Pendragon blood in him, but through his mother he also had the blood of Le Fey. He has the strongest, purest blood ever recorded in the history of our kind, and that alone places him as a very important person in our futures. His allegiance, gained in youth, could mean the outcome of our kind and those of humans."  
  
"Wow." Merlin whispered, unable to believe that Mordred, his Mordred, was going to be such a key player in the future. He'd sensed the growing power in the boy, had known that it was incredibly strong, but he just hadn't seen the big picture.  
  
"And now that he realizes that the house of Emrys is not only not dead, but has heirs, heirs with the blood of Le Fey running through their veins..." Nimueh sighed. "Merlin, you were a baby when this happened, and till this day we still don't understand how you survived, but your whole family was massacred. The Emrys bloodline has always been the strongest bloodline magically speaking, the Alpha, the Prominent, the Wisest, they have always been the Advisors, and we've suffered through their loss. Sigan's men are threatening to overthrow us, and we feel its time to not only bring in the New Blood, but to fight Cornelius Sigan, to make a stand, and defeat him once and for all."  
  
"New Blood?" Merlin frowned.  
  
"Yes." A regal, authoritative voice announced. "The next generation."  
  
Merlin and Nimueh turned towards the voice, seeing a tall, grey-haired yet handsome man standing tall, arms clasped behind his back.  
  
"So this is the Patriarch of the Emrys House, whom my grandson has spoken so highly off." The man announced, giving Merlin a once over, before clearing his throat. "Let me introduce myself. I am Uther Pendragon."  
  
Arthur's father.  
  
Mordred's grandfather.  
  
Merlin was glad that Lydia had taken his stuff because he probably would have dropped them by now. "Merlin Emrys."  
  
They shook hands.  
  
"Good. You have a strong handshake, it speaks well about the character of a man." Uther announced in approval, letting go of Merlin's hand before motioning to the man standing a little behind him. "I was told you met Sir Du Lac."  
  
"Officer Du Lac?" Merlin's eyes widened as he recognized the policeman from the day of Mordred's would-be-kidnapping. "You work here?"  
  
"It's more of a calling than a work." Lancelot Du Lac smiled at him, shaking his hand. "My family has been what one might call Knights of this order, despite the fact that we in our selves don't have any magic or anything." His smile was very handsome. "I've been assigned to your case now that Sigan has made advances on you as well, and I'm sure that we will get along fine, Mr. Emrys."  
  
"My case?" Merlin frowned, looking from Nimueh to Uther. "What case?"  
  
"Think of Lancelot as a live-in bodyguard." Uther ordered. "Sigan is on the move, and not only is the safety of my son and grandson important, but that of Miss Le Fey and your children as well. Miss Le Fey and her partner already have a Knight assigned to them, and has moved in next door to keep an eye on them, and others in their jobs as well. They are safe. But the Houses of Emrys and Pendragon will be the ones Sigan will go after strongest, especially since we have always been the stronger Houses, and an alliance between them would only mean his defeat."  
  
"I'm not sure...I understand. Defeat?" Merlin frowned. "I don't fight anymore. I don't even use magic. I have two daughters. I'm not going to get mixed up in the middle of this---this Magic War."  
  
"Just the fact that you were born, Emrys, meant you were a part of it, and the most vital part of it." Uther glared at him as if telling him to shape up already. "You then mixed with Le Fey blood, your daughters are already strong in their powers, especially young Freya. If we have noticed this, so will Sigan. You're a part of this work whether you like it or not."  
  
Merlin bit on his lip to keep from answering that with a snap. He took in a deep breath and then asked the question that was really bothering him. "If Arthur is the descendant or two Pure Bloodlines mixing, and you're a part of this--whatever this is---how is it that he doesn't have magic? That he didn't even know that it existed until Mordred's cursing?"  
  
Nimueh and Uther shared a look.  
  
Lancelot looked uncomfortable.  
  
Merlin narrowed his eyes. "What?"  
  
"There was...is...a prophecy, concerning my son." Uther finally announced. "Upon his birth, Morgana and Morgause Le Fey's mother predicted that Sigan and he would battle, and Sigan would kill him and take his powers, becoming unstoppable. To avoid this your father, Balinor, did Igraine and I a favor. He was the only one knowledgeable or powerful enough to do the spell."  
  
"He took Arthur's magic from him, nearly killing the baby in the process but Arthur survived because Balinor injected him with some of his lifeforce." Nimueh answered. "Without any magic in Arthur, the prophecy was changed."  
  
Somehow, somehow Merlin knew that this wasn't over. "What else?"  
  
Uther stayed silent.  
  
Nimueh sighed. "Merlin, Balinor took Arthur's power into him, so that one of his descendants would be the ones destined to fight Cornelius Sigan instead."  
  
"That was why your whole family was massacred, destroyed." Lancelot spoke up with sympathy. "Merlin, you have Pendragon in you as well. You have Arthur's power in you, you have Arthur's blood in you, you're practically a apart of him."  
  
"Which makes your children, quite definitely, whole siblings, as you and Arthur have a piece of each other inside of you." Uther declared in a deadpanned way. "You could be considered two halves of the same soul, if one were poetic like that."  
  
"Or like two sides of the same coin." Merlin whispered, remembering John's words.  
  
"Exactly." Nimueh nodded. "Very well put."  
  
"Oh gods." Merlin whispered, bringing a hand to his head, before looking up at Uther and glaring. "How could you keep something like this a secret from Arthur? Especially when you realized that he was going to marry Morgause?!?"  
  
"Arthur and I...have a strained...relationship." Uther obviously wasn't used to being question, and with such a glare. "Ever since Igraine died when he was a teenager he and I have been unable to see eye to eye, and he went away to school and---and Arthur had a normal life. I---it was something overlooked that shouldn't have. He's been drawn into this battle despite how hard I've been trying to keep him out."  
  
Merlin frowned. "You need to tell him, Uther. You need to tell him  _now_."  
  
Uther nodded. "I know."  
  
Nimueh and Lancelot looked surprised as they looked between Uther and Merlin.  
  
"What else do I need to know?" Merlin asked, eyes narrowed.  
  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
It was to be expected that Morgana exploded when she was told.  
  
She'd made the mighty Uther Pendragon take a step back. And he'd looked relieved when she'd gone to call her parents to scream at  _them_  due to the fact that they were a part of this Organization and hadn't told her or Morgause a thing.  
  
"They  _aren't_  his granddaughters." Merlin complained to Lancelot as he watched Uther, apparently transformed, smiling down at the twins, who listened to him in fascination. "I don't care if Arthur and I share this odd thing, life force, soul, I don't know. Those girls are  _mine_ , not  _Arthur's_."  
  
Lancelot would be staying in the room Merlin had magicked into the house for him (a little disconcerted at the looks of surprise everyone but Morgana, Gwen, his girls and Mordred gave him at that act of magic) and if it wasn't for the fact that Merlin was worried about his girls and Mordred, the young warlock would have put up more of a fight about having a stranger in his house. Then again, he liked Lancelot off the bat, and if Lancelot could help keep the children safe, Merlin wasn't about to complain about that.  
  
"In magical circles...thats more sacred then a marriage...and marriage is  _sacred_." Lancelot admitted. "In magical circles, you two aren't seen as two different people sharing something like a soul, its more like one being split in two, the Ying to the Yang, one completing the other. Why do you think you two are so drawn to each other? That you get on so smashingly?"  
  
Merlin opened his mouth, and then closed it. "So...its because of this thing inside of us?"  
  
Lancelot nodded.  
  
For some reason, that depressed Merlin.  
  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Merlin had had to keep adding more rooms to his home, since Uther had invited himself to spend the night because he hadn't been able to see his grandson for a while, and because he wanted to get to know his granddaughters as well. The young warlock would have snapped that Uther was not the grandfather if it wasn't for the fact that the girls had taken to Grampy Uther like fish to water, and Sophia especially seemed fascinated with him, talking battle strategies and such. Morgana and Gwen had stayed over as well, staying in their room, and of course Lancelot would be moving in until...until....  
  
Merlin frowned.  
  
They'd never told him under what circumstances it would be safe for Lancelot to move out.  
  
"Unable to sleep?" A voice asked in the dark of the living room.  
  
Merlin jerked slightly, turning towards the voice.  
  
Everyone else had gone to bed and he'd tried sleeping, but the day's events had kept him awake.  
  
They'd been trying to get into contact with Arthur, but his phone had been off, and that worried him. It obviously worried Uther as well, since the man he had trailing Arthur in Japan had reported to having lost him some time earlier.  
  
"Yeah." Merlin nodded. "I was trying Arthur's number again, and its still turned off."  
  
"I'm sure he's fine." Lancelot reassured him, going to stand by the window next to him. "I was sent to the same high school as him to keep an eye on him, and I know that even without magic he's able to take care of himself, so don't worry."  
  
"You've been doing this since you were a teenager?" Merlin asked, surprised.  
  
"We're groomed for this from the time we're children." Lancelot nodded, smiling. "I always knew that this would be my calling, and I was always happy with it. It gave me a purpose in life. Kept me on the straight and narrow."  
  
Merlin smiled, before a stray thought made him blink. "You've known Arthur from the sidelines for a while, right?" Lancelot nodded. "So what is it that he does for his profession? Even Nimueh and Uther wouldn't tell me when I asked."  
  
Lancelot grinned brightly. "I can understand why they wouldn't."  
  
Merlin frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"  
  
Lancelot just chuckled. "How about I start teaching you how to fight without magic? Nimueh said that the minions sent for you today were cursed so that if you used magic it'd be drained temporarily. In situations like that you need to know how to defend yourself physically."  
  
Merlin grinned, raising an eyebrow. "Have you  _seen_  my body?"  
  
Lancelot chuckled. "What about it?"  
  
"I'm skinny." Merlin replied slowly, as if to a child. "No way I could hurt a fly."  
  
"When I'm done with you, you will be able to." Lancelot told him, face serious. "Your life might depend on it."  
  
Merlin's smile dropped.  
  
Lancelot sighed and placed a comforting hand on the much thinner man's shoulder. "Don't worry, you're not alone in this fight. I will protect you and your family with my life if I have to."  
  
"I don't really want  _anyone_  to have to." Merlin sighed. "Everything's getting so complicated---just when I thought things were getting...comfortable."  
  
The sound of keys in the door was the only warning they had before suddenly the door opened and the light was turned on...and Arthur paused in the doorway, suitcase in hand.  
  
"Arthur?" Merlin asked in surprised. "What are you  _doing_  here? You're supposed to be gone for at least another week!"  
  
The surprise and confusion darkened into something else in Arthur's eyes as they narrowed, and a muscle jumped in his cheek. "Things went uncommonly well and I was able to fly out soon after texting you. I took the first fight out." His lips hardened into a grim line. "Didn't realize you'd have  _company_."  
  
Merlin frowned, not exactly sure what was wrong with the prat. "You know Lancelot, don't you? He tells me you two went to high school together."  
  
"Yes.  _Du Lac._ " Arthur sneered, slamming the door shut behind him. "What are you doing here at this time of the night? It's indecent. I think it's time you get the hell out of here."  
  
"Arthur!" Merlin snapped, more and more confused. "Stop it!"  
  
"Yes, Arthur, stop it." Uther's voice announced, causing everyone to look at him. "Before you embarrass yourself."  
  
"Father?" Arthur gasped in shock. "What the bloody hell are  _you_  doing here!?"  
  
Merlin sighed.  
  
This was going to be a  _long_  night.


	8. Chapter Eight

"Arthur!" Merlin called as he hurried outside after the storming blonde.  
  
To say the least, the talk between father and son hadn't gone well.  
  
"Arthur wait!" The brunet jogged to catch up with the blonde, finally reaching his side and grabbing his arm to stop him. "Arthur!"  
  
Arthur looked away before taking in a deep breath and turning to Merlin. "I can't believe this, Merlin. I just can't---I---it's---."  
  
"It's not safe." Merlin looked around them, feeling a little better when they seemed to be the only ones in the road at that godforsaken time of the morning. "Come on Arthur, we should go back inside."  
  
"I can't, not right now, not with  _him_  there." Arthur sighed, running a hand over his golden hair. "I can't get along with my father on a good day, and now he---he-- _argh_!"  
  
Merlin stood in silence, watching the many different emotions playing over his face.  
  
"My son, Merlin, my  _son_." Arthur closed his eyes tightly before taking in a deep breath and opening his eyes. "All of this was happening, and he didn't think it important to tell me? That I had magic when I was born? That my son is being sought after by some sort of Voldemort? That part of my  _life essence_  is in someone else and his is in me?  _None_  of that seemed important details for me to know?!?"  
  
"I know its hard for you to take in, Arthur, but we're all going through the same thing." Merlin sighed, dropping his hold on the blonde's arm. "I found out that my daughters basically have the blood of every house but Sigan in their veins, and if they'd been boys..."  
  
"Boys?" Arthur frowned. "What difference would that make?"  
  
"I used to think that gender didn't make a difference when it came to magic, but apparently while female witches are able to have strong magic in them, only males have the legendary powers." Merlin replied, remembering the story that had infuriated Morgana when she'd found out that evening. "According to your father, the females used to be just as equally powerful as the men, and they wanted equal ruling rights. But you know the olden days, women were always subjugated. There was a war between the women and men, a literal war, and many of the bloodlines were annihilated in it. In the end the males one by a hair, and together they cursed the females to have the most of their powers bound in them, unable to be unleashed. But if these women were to have a male child, the child would have the power the mother couldn't use."  
  
"That's extremely sexist!" Arthur snapped.  
  
"That's what Morgana said...though she added a couple of more colorful words." Merlin sighed. "Your father said that if they weren't siblings, Freya, Sophia and Mordred would have been encouraged to procreate because the children of their bloodlines would have been people of legend or something like that."  
  
"He  _said_  that?" Arthur snapped. "They're children! They're not animals to be planning future breeding projects on!"  
  
Merlin nodded in agreement, having felt the same anger when Uther had commented that earlier. He hugged himself against the chill of the morning, gaze going towards the house, thinking of the children sleeping peacefully within.  
  
"Come here you stupid idiot." Arthur grumbled, catching Merlin off guard when he grabbed him and pulled him to him. The blonde opened his coat and wrapped it around the thin man as well. "You came out after me without even grabbing a coat. Seriously, you're so air-headed sometimes."  
  
Merlin was too shocked, and confused as to what to do with his hands as he was encircled in the heat of Arthur's body and coat. Should he leave his hands at his sides, grab onto Arthur's shirt, or what?  
  
"So, this Sigan..." Arthur sighed.  
  
"Sounds like serious business." Merlin replied into Arthur's hair. "And he's got his eye on our families."  
  
"And of course I don't even have a speck of magic in me to be able to protect those I love with." Arthur growled, self-disgust evident. "I was going to be so useless there was even a prophecy about it."  
  
"That's not true." Merlin reacted on instinct, his arms going around Arthur in a comforting hug. "And anyway, you protect your son all the time even without magic, and sometimes...sometimes having magic in these circumstances is best. Like those minions that were looking for me. If I had attacked them I would have been down and out, and you don't have any magic to siphon, so you'd have been able to continue on as if nothing."  
  
Arthur was still, silent.  
  
"Also, magic, it can be easily corrupted." Merlin sighed, lowering his head and effectively resting his forehead against Arthur's shoulder. "Especially mine. I---the reason why I don't like to use my magic is because when was younger I was infected with dark magic, and I turned into someone I---I turned into a completely different person. If it hadn't been for my family---it scares me to think of what I would have done."  
  
Arthur remained silent, but his hands tightened around Merlin slightly.  
  
"I don't ever want to be that person ever again, Arthur, but I can't guarantee that the next time I'm infected I won't turn into that person again."  
  
"You won't." Arthur finally spoke, voice soft and sure.  
  
"You don't know that. None of us do." Merlin replied. "Magic is volatile, Arthur, I've always kinda envied those who don't have any, and I definitely wish that my daughters had been born as Unnaturally Untalented as their mother was."  
  
"Unnaturally Untalented? Is that what being born without magic is called in the magical circles?" Arthur chuckled, amused.  
  
"According to Morgana it was thought that it was impossible for a family with magic as strong in their heritage as their to have a magic-less child, but Morgause proved them wrong." A sigh escaped his lips. "It led to a big controversy, and for a while Mr. Le Fey wasn't even sure that she was his daughter."  
  
"That's somewhat harsh."  
  
"Exactly, but he couldn't believe that someone with his bloodline would be Unnaturally Untalented." Merlin agreed. "Still, when the tests came back Morgause was proved to be his child, and he was forced to admit to it."  
  
"You know, the more I learn about Morgause's family, the more relieved I am that I never met them...that drag queen cyborg excluded of course."  
  
Despite it all Merlin chuckled, smiling into Arthur's shoulder. "Don't tease her so much right now, she's still very touchy after learning about what was done to the female witches."  
  
"Thanks for the heads-up." Arthur chuckled.  
  
There was silence as they just stood like that.  
  
Merlin finally sighed. "We should go back inside."  
  
"Let's just stay out for a little longer." Arthur tightened his hold a little. "I need to cool down. I don't want the kids seeing me like this."  
  
"Okay." Merlin whispered.  
  
\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Contrary to apparently popular belief, the kids weren't deaf.  
  
So when the whole explosion had happened earlier with Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot and Uther, they'd woken up, and had (of course) used one of Sophia's many different spy holes to listen into the conversation going on between the adults. They knew more than the others would have liked them to, and while they were scared at the thought of this Cornelius Sigan being after them, the three had other, more important things in their minds as they plastered themselves against the window and spied on their fathers outside.  
  
"They're  _hugging_." Mordred pointed out in a shocked tone.  
  
"How sweet." Freya sighed, a happy little grin on her face as she watched their parents.  
  
"I detest the fact that we couldn't hear what they're saying." Sophia pouted, clearly not in a celebrating mood. "How are we supposed to mount a battle plan if we don't know all the details?"  
  
"We'll just make it up as we go I suppose." Mordred replied, moving away from the window and lay down on Freya's bed. "Have a contingency plan just in case."  
  
"Good idea brother Mordred." Sophia agreed before bursting into a large grin. "How amazing is that, by the way? We're actually whole siblings. This is just, perfect."  
  
Freya flopped down on her bed next to Mordred and hugged her unicorn plushie to her heart.  
  
"Attention soldiers!" Sophia grabbed a ruler from her bedside table and slapped it against said table's edge before clasping her hands behind her back and beginning to pace the floor. "The enemy is strong, and cunning, and probably really well armed. And we really look screwed. But we have daddy, and we have Grampy Uther and his minions, and we have Arthur, who'd die to protect us and can be scary when he wants to be despite his utter lack of magic."  
  
Mordred and Freya exchanged looks before returning their attention to the pacing redhead.  
  
"And we have each other." Sophia turned to them, young, freckled face serious. "You heard them. Between the three of us we have some of the strongest magic in us."  
  
"Especially Mordred." Freya raised her hand as if she were in a classroom. "And they  _did_  say he's supposed to be a key figure in what's going to happen."  
  
Sophia raised an eyebrow as she gave her brother a once-over before nodding. "Soldier, you've just volunteered for extra training."  
  
"Note her unique interpretation of the term  _volunteer_." Mordred snorted, smirking at Freya.  
  
Freya grinned back.  
  
Sophia rolled her eyes at them before taking in a deep breath. "We need to train hard people, the three of us."  
  
Freya made a face. "But I'm just a Seer, and anyway, you heard Grampy Uther. He said that we won't have that strong powers because---."  
  
"Of a curse." Sophia interrupted. "What have you learnt from Aunt Morgana in all these years Freya? Curses can be lifted."  
  
Freya's eyes widened. "But--!"  
  
"No buts." Sophia narrowed her eyes. "If we want to be any good in this war, we're going to have to be on equal ground. And this is the 21st century! We women won our right as equals a  _long_  time ago!"  
  
"That's not what I meant." Freya pouted. "What I'm saying is that other women must have tried to break the curse before us, Soph. What makes you think that we can do something they can't?"  
  
Sophia grinned. "Because  _they_  didn't have the blood of four of the most pure and powerful bloodlines in their veins, Frey.  _We_  do." Her grin was slightly evil as she rubbed her hands together. "And _I_  got a plan."


	9. Chapter Nine

Merlin added shadowing to the coloring, concentrating hard on the final copy of the cover for John's book. He'd gone over the draft John and Mordred had both liked and made some slight alterations, and now he was finishing it and readying to send it to his agent. He had to admit that with everything on his mind he'd almost messed up a couple of times, but this was his job, he loved what he did, and he refused to let everything that was going on, refused to let the mysterious Cornelius Sigan, disrupt his life. Despite that, he was glad that Uther's Minions (as he liked to call the wizards working under Arthur's father) were keeping an eye on the girls and Mordred while they were at school. Well, while the three were at the same school.  
  
Yes.  
  
The girls had changed school.  
  
Merlin would never had agreed to the disruption of the girls' normal lives if it hadn't been for the fact that Mordred's school was founded by Uther's magical alliance, and the faculty were all on Uther's payroll. There would be no safer place for the girls to get their education.  
  
"Here you go."  
  
Merlin looked up as a cup was placed down in front of him, confusion clear on his face.  
  
Lancelot smiled and placed down the plate with a sandwich. "Its lunch time."  
  
"Is it?" Twisting in his chair, Merlin's eyes widened on the clock. "It is."  
  
"You forgot again." Lancelot smiled, the skin around his eyes wrinkling pleasantly. "You do that too much to be healthy."  
  
"I get caught up in my work." Merlin admitted sheepishly, smiling up at the man personally responsible of his security, and whom was quickly becoming a close friend. "Gwen says that its the reason why I'm so abysmally skinny."  
  
Lancelot tried to hide the amusement on his face.  
  
"Thanks." Merlin finally reached for the glass and took a long sip of the drink before putting it down and smiling.  
  
"It's looking nice." Lancelot announced, eyes venturing to the drawing. "I could never draw. My talent was always the physical."  
  
"I wish I could have some physical thing to boast of." Merlin smirked, leaning back in his seat and picking up one of the sandwich slices and taking a bite out of it, groaning in appreciation of the taste.  
  
Lancelot's smile grew somewhat before he headed towards the window and fingered the curtain out of the way, gazing out into the street with that constant vigilance that Merlin had to admire.  
  
The phone rang.  
  
Merlin swallowed and reached forwards. "'Ello."  
  
"Merlin." Arthur's voice sounded tired on the other end.  
  
"You okay?" Merlin asked, worried.  
  
"Tired." Arthur sighed. "And incredibly bad tempered. My assistant, who is basically the most spineless person ever, even told me how much of a monster I've been today."  
  
"You need to sleep." Merlin sighed, filing away the information that whatever Arthur did required him to have an assistant.  
  
"I don't sleep well in a place filled with strangers." Arthur grumbled, obviously referring to Lancelot and Will, the two Knights in charge of his and Merlin's safety.  
  
"You slept perfectly well that first night you and Mordred stayed here---until his curse was activated of course."  
  
"God Merlin!" Arthur hissed. "Don't remind me of that!"  
  
"Sorry." Merlin apologized, gaze going down to his sandwich.  
  
"No, I'm sorry." Arthur sighed, sounding somewhat disgusted with himself. "You don't deserve me taking this out on you. You're going through the same thing as me but you're being insufferably understanding about the whole situation."  
  
Merlin remained silent, gaze to where Lancelot was still visually scanning outside for any possible threats.  
  
He didn't have the problem Arthur had with Will, Merlin actually quite liked his protector, whereas Will seemed to enjoy making Arthur miserable.  
  
"And as for your comment, you've always been different, Merlin." Arthur cleared his throat. "Back then I wasn't sure what it was, but I guess we know what it is, huh?"  
  
Their soul.  
  
Merlin took in a deep breath, still not sure why it bothered him every time their shared soul or life essence was mentioned.  
  
He just didn't like it.  
  
It was as if it made their relationship null and void.  
  
"Can't we just have one night with just our family?" Arthur seemed to be pleading, which was a big deal since Arthur Pendragon did not plead. "Without the add-ons?"  
  
"Oy!" Will could be heard commenting in the background. "You should be glad Lance an' I are protectin' your skinny arse!"  
  
"Shut the fuck up you stupid wanker!" Arthur hissed at him. "You're protecting against my will so just shut up! I don't want anymore bloody annoying commentary from you!"  
  
"Ungrateful sod." Will exclaimed.  
  
"Merlin." Arthur's voice was a snarl. "I'm going to hang up now. I'm calling Uther and telling him to get rid of this nuisance before I get rid of him myself!"  
  
"Bring it on Rich Boy!" Will could be heard taunting before the phone call was terminated.  
  
Merlin looked at the phone with slight worry. "I think Arthur and Will are going to try and kill each other in a minute."  
  
Lancelot turned his head towards Merlin in amusement at that. "Really?"  
  
"I'm serious." Merlin frowned. "They really seem to hate each other."  
  
"Don't worry, it's just old resentments. Will will get over it eventually."  
  
"Get over what?" Merlin asked in curiosity.  
  
"Arthur probably doesn't remember this, but Will went to the same school as we did." Lancelot announced, a smile tugging at his lips. "He was under orders to keep an eye on Arthur like I was, except he kept too much of an eye on Arthur."  
  
For a moment Merlin wasn't getting it.  
  
And then he did.  
  
His eyes widened. "You're joking."  
  
Lancelot shook his head. "He even confessed to Arthur."  
  
Merlin went still.  
  
"It was an All Boy's School, and you'd be surprised how the cliche actually happened there." Lancelot seemed quite amused as he went to sit down next to Merlin once more. "Arthur was always the shining star of the school, and Will was far from the first boy to confess to him and get viciously rejected."  
  
For some reason Merlin was feeling sick.  
  
"Arthur was very cruel in his rejection." Lancelot remembered. "Will said he'd told him that Will disgusted him, as did any faggot. And that Will should just go and jump off a bridge to help rid the world of worthless shits like him."  
  
"I can't believe he'd say that." Merlin whispered, not understanding how the nausea was rising in his stomach.  
  
"Truly?" Lancelot asked in surprise. "I respect him for Uther's sake, but Arthur's always been somewhat of a prat."  
  
"But that was bastardly." Merlin whispered. "No wonder Will enjoys making Arthur miserable."  
  
"And Will realizes Arthur doesn't recognize him, which only hurts his sensibilities even more." Lancelot continued. "He just needs to get past that episode and realize that this is a job, and he shouldn't bring anything personal into it." His cellular began to ring and Lancelot took it out of his pocket, frowning when he saw the caller I.D., bringing the phone to his ear. "Sir?" He listened in silence before nodding. "Yes sir, immediately sir." Hanging up he sighed and turned to Merlin. "Apparently Arthur and Will have come to blows and I'm to go and fetch Will and take him to headquarters."  
  
"Are they okay?" Merlin asked, worried, standing when Lancelot did.  
  
"Course." Lancelot smiled. "Neither have magic."  
  
Merlin wanted to point out that many people did horrible damage without the help of magic, but decided to remain silent as he grabbed his coat. "Let's go."  
  
"You're coming?" Lancelot asked, surprised.  
  
"I've been dying to figure out what it is Arthur does." Merlin announced, pulling on his coat. "There's no way in hell that I'm letting this opportunity pass me by."  
  
Lancelot seemed amused. "It's nothing bad or embarrassing, you know."  
  
"Then why all the secrecy?" Merlin countered.  
  
"Maybe he didn't want you treating him differently just because of what he did." Lancelot announced before heading to the door.  
  
Merlin frowned in confusion before following him.


	10. Chapter Ten

Merlin looked.  
  
And he looked again.  
  
He even rubbed his eyes just to make sure that he was seeing things correctly.  
  
He was.  
  
He blinked.  
  
 _No way._  
  
Gaping, Merlin looked up at the elegant sign that read Albion Fashions.  
  
Arthur was in the  _fashion business._  
  
It was shocking to the core.  
  
It shook all the fundamental views he'd had of the blonde.  
  
Merlin was still in a daze as Lancelot led him through doorkeepers and buzzers, and offices full of people who looked skinnier than him, and then to the front desk where a very pretty blonde was finding it hard to type due to her long nails. She'd grinned lasciviously at Lancelot, buzzing him into the office which had the sign: Arthur Pendragon, Founder.  
  
 _Dear gods_.  
  
Inside, Arthur and Will both sported black eyes and snarls, each in separate corners of the room seeming to want nothing more than another excuse to throw themselves at each other and end the other's existence.  
  
Merlin looked around the office in utter shock.  
  
Lancelot cleared his throat. "Sire..."  
  
"Will you get this---!" Arthur choked as he shot up from his seat, eyes wide in horror. " _Merlin_?"  
  
Merlin finally turned his attention on the blonde, who was gazing at him with wide-eyed terror. "I thought you were a spy."  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Arthur scoffed, looking a mixture of intrigued, surprised, and horrified.  
  
"Or someone from the mafia." Merlin admitted, turning to get a better view of the amazing office. "And porno director did cross my mind once. And, well, to be honest, a porno star."  
  
A very entertaining choking sound came from Arthur.  
  
"I never would have guessed you were in the fashion industry." Merlin finally turned back to look at his friend.  
  
"He's the designer of the Albion Fashions Line." Will was quick to announce.  
  
"Shut the hell up!" Arthur snapped at him before turning to Merlin. "Now, Merlin, I know that---."  
  
"Brilliant!" Merlin grinned, going to sit down on the plush sofa against the left wall. "This is bloody brilliant!" He chuckled as he rested his feet against the coffee table in front of the sofa and cupped his hands behind his head. "Why on earth did you keep this a secret for so long?  
  
Arthur was just frozen, looking at him. "Are you...serious?"  
  
"Why wouldn't I be? You design clothes!" Merlin grinned. "Thats a much better scenario than all the ones I came up with thanks to your stupid secrecy!"  
  
Arthur sat back down on his seat and covered his face with his hands. "I can't bloody believe this."  
  
"I know!" Merlin chuckled, looking around hims in awe. "This is awesome, Arthur!"  
  
The blonde slowly tore his hands from his face and gazed at Merlin, frowning. "You really don't think that me being a fashion designer is...weird?"  
  
"Why would I? You create art, like me. If anything I have a new appreciation for you." Merlin chuckled, turning towards the blonde, smile large and silly on his face. "I might make you design some costumes for my characters sometimes...oh, and halloween costumes? That's all on your plate now, mate."  
  
Arthur just blinked, looking at Merlin as if he had just grown a second head.  
  
It didn't phase the lithe male in the least bit as he got up to get a better look at some pictures on the wall. "Are these...you?"  
  
Arthur stood, face suspiciously red. "Uhm, they're nothing. They---."  
  
"He modeled for years before designing his own clothes line." Will answered, apparently knowing everything about Arthur.  
  
Merlin couldn't help but feel a little envy.  
  
He wanted to know these things about Arthur as well.  
  
Why hadn't the blonde felt he could trust Merlin with these details about his life?  
  
"Oy! What are you? My Unofficial Biography?" Arthur snapped at Will before heading towards Merlin and clearing his throat, hands clasped behind his back as he too looked at the many black and white, and colored, pictures taken in his youth form photo shoots to pictures taken on the runway. "Despite what my father is in the magical world, Merlin, his position in this world is much more shady."  
  
Merlin turned to look at him in surprise at that.  
  
"You would somewhat consider him the Godfather of London." Arthur took in a deep breath. "It's nothing as extreme as the movies, I'll tell you, but he has a tight control thanks to his money. He owns Parliament, practically, they all owe him ridiculous amounts of money, and well, growing up I was expected to follow in the line of business." Arthur made up his face. "I rebelled out of high school, and as a punishment my father cut me off, left me destitute." His eyes hardened. "Up until then I'd lived off of him, and it was a shock, but I was quickly scouted by a talent agent and I became a model. It was relatively easy work, and I got paid unbelievably well."  
  
Merlin tore his gaze from the pictures to look at Arthur. "Is that how you met Morgause? I remember her being obsessed with fashion, was always pissy that I didn't take more pride in how I dressed."  
  
"I like how you dress." Arthur surprised him by saying, before he cleared his throat and looked away. "But yes, that was how I met Morgause. I should have known better. People who...people from this part of my life seem to have me under one stereotype or the other, and they're never genuine, Merlin. People only see the pounds in my bank account, I couldn't trust anyone around me to be sincere." Arthur sighed, finally turning to look at the slightly taller man. "When you met me, that wasn't the first time Mordred had been involved in a near kidnapping, and it wasn't the first time orchestrated by someone who was supposed to be of trust either."  
  
Merlin's eyes widened as suddenly everything about Arthur's attitude that night started making terrible sense.   
  
"I couldn't understand you, Merlin." Arthur chuckled, shaking his head. "Not only were you hopelessly noble, suspiciously so, but you didn't seem to know who I was." There was a pause. "Do you know how rare it was to find someone who had no idea about who I was? Who didn't have any preconceived ideas about me and my family either because of my line of work or because of my father?" He sighed. "You were a breath of fresh air. You still are. Merlin."  
  
The dark haired man looked at the blonde in shock.  
  
He hadn't realized...  
  
"I didn't want that to change, or for your impressions of me to be corrupted by others and..." Arthur sighed. "You have no idea how relieved I was to hear you say what you just did."  
  
Merlin shook his head at Arthur and grinned. "Look, I don't know what kind of people you associate with because of your work, but when you get home its a different story, you know that."  
  
Arthur smiled. "Yes, I do."  
  
Will cleared his throat.  
  
Merlin looked away, back at the pictures.  
  
Arthur shot Will an ugly look.  
  
Lancelot grabbed Will by the back of his shirt's neck, holding back when the guy would have gone towards Arthur. "We'll escort ourselves out." And with that he dragging a scowling Will out of the room.  
  
"Good riddance." Arthur huffed.  
  
Merlin snorted in amusement before leaving Arthur's side to go to his desk, browsing nosily through the papers on the desk.  
  
They were designs.  
  
"Wow." He held up one of the papers. "This is good."  
  
"Of course it is, Merlin." Arthur scoffed as he joined him. "I  _did_  design it you know."  
  
Smiling, glad to see Arthur back to his old self, Merlin continued looking through the designs.  
  
After the first nine, he started picking up a pattern.  
  
He turned to look at Arthur, realizing that the blonde had been watching him with a smile.  
  
Not sure why he felt embarrassed all of a sudden, he cleared his throat and looked down at the papers once more. "These look like things the kids would wear."  
  
"You noticed." Arthur's voice was incredibly pleased. "They're my three newest lines, Fairy Princess, Wicked Lil' Witch, and Knight Errant. This is the second phase of them, each inspired by one of the children and their unique tastes."  
  
Merlin couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
  
"The first is doing well, incredibly so, especially in Baby Hollywood." Arthur sounded haughty, yet there was that glint in his eyes, eyeing Merlin expectantly. "Suri Cruise and Violet Affleck have both fallen in love with the Fairy Princess line, Zahara Jolie-Pitt enjoys Wicked Lil' Witch, and from what I hear, Kingston Stefani-Rossdale, Maddox Jolie-Pitt and others are enjoying Knight Errant."  
  
Merlin turned to look back at the pictures. "I'm impressed."  
  
"Of course you are." And yet there was contentedness in that voice. "You want some lunch?"  
  
Merlin shook his head. "Thanks but Lancelot made me something before we came here."  
  
Some of the contentedness melted from that face. "Oh he did, did he?"  
  
"Yeah." Merlin nodded, not sure why that'd seemed to bother Arthur so much.  
  
"He sure seems very dedicated to your every need, don't you think?"  
  
"He's my protector, it's his job."  
  
"No, his job is to make sure some asshole sorcerer doesn't hurt you." Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Otherwise he's supposed to stay in the background, not make himself an integral part of your life."  
  
"He's human too, Arthur. Why would I treat him like that?"  
  
"Because he's just a bodyguard!"  
  
"He's not just a bodyguard!" Merlin snapped back.  
  
Arthur's eyes suddenly darkened. "Oh, really?"   
  
"Really." Merlin narrowed his eyes, resisting the urge to take a step back when Arthur took a couple of menacing steps towards him.  
  
"What  _else_  is he?" Arthur wanted to know.  
  
"He's a friend." Merlin stressed, not understanding what was going on.  
  
"I don't know, from the first time I saw you two together you seemed a  _lot_  closer than friends should be." Arthur seemed dangerous. "You sure there's nothing you want to tell me, Merlin? Maybe about your  _sexuality_?"  
  
Merlin's eyes widened in shock.  
  
 _What_?  
  
And then he remembered what Lancelot had told him about Arthur and Will.  
  
Arthur  _detested_  gays.  
  
If he thought for one second that Merlin might in some way be attracted to men...  
  
...not that he was!  
  
But still he felt unholy fear as he looked into those angry eyes.  
  
But he couldn't back down.  
  
Couldn't.  
  
"Of  _course_  not." He snapped, pushing Arthur away. "And just so you know, another reason I came here today was to tell you that I have a date tonight, with a  _woman_ , and you're going to have to be home early for once!"  
  
Instead of calming Arthur, as he'd thought it would, those words just made those eyes darken.  
  
"A  _date_."  
  
"Yes. A date." Merlin replied, not understanding anything.  
  
"Who is she?" Arthur pulled away, face closed up. "Do I know her?" He paused, eyes narrowing. "Is it Nimueh?"  
  
"Nimueh?" Merlin blinked in surprise. "No it's not---why would you think it was Nimueh?"  
  
"No reason." Arthur went around the desk to sit down in his chair. "Well, I know how hard it is for you to find a date, Merlin." He replied, clasping his hands over his chest. "I'll be home early. And please, bring her home so she can meet your family."  
  
Not exactly sure why that sounded so odd, Merlin nodded and left the office, wondering who in the world he was going to get for a date on such short notice.  
  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
  
"A  _date_?!?!" Sophia shrieked in horror.  
  
Freya nodded, worry obvious on her face as she finished telling her brother and sister about the vision she'd just received of the argument between their parents. "He said he was going out with some  _woman_."  
  
"This isn't good." Mordred's eyes narrowed. "We need to do something about this right away."  
  
"What  _hussy_  has gotten past my radar?" Sophia hissed, anger and disbelief visible in her features. "If it isn't Nimueh, then who could have slipped under the radar and gotten close to dad without me finding out and dealing with her?!?!"  
  
"She must be very good." Freya worried. "Dad hasn't gone out on a date since... _ever_."  
  
"He's goes out on dates with papa all the time." Sophia snorted.  
  
"It's not like he realizes that." Mordred countered.  
  
Sophia pouted. "You have a point there."  
  
Freya hugged herself, close to tears. "What are we going to do? If some  _woman_  comes along and takes daddy away, he and papa aren't going to be together anymore and we won't be together and..."  
  
"Frey, calm down." Mordred placed an arm around the shaking girl. "That's not going to happen."  
  
"Exactly." Sophia raised her chin. "Because I have a plan."  
  
Freya and Mordred's eyes widened. " _The_  plan?"  
  
"Yes,  _the_  plan." Sophia's grin was somewhat evil as she nodded. "Soldiers, take your positions on the battlefield, it's time to go to war."


	11. Chapter Eleven

"What do you mean you need a date for tonight?" Gwen dropped her pen, eyes wide as she ignored the phone in her office ringing loudly. "What happened? Are you and Arthur fighting?"  
  
Merlin blinked. "How did you know we had a fight?"  
  
"Call it an educated guess." She shook her head, an amused smile tilting her lips. "So you're going on a date to annoy Arthur?"  
  
"What? No. Why would it annoy him?" Merlin frowned before sitting down on the seat on the other side of her desk. "But I really need a date tonight if I'm not going to lose face with him."  
  
The phone continued to ring.  
  
Gwen sighed and pressed the intercom button. "Not now, Morgana, I need to get Merlin a date." And with that she ended the conversation between her and her boss and lover, Morgana Le Fay.  
  
Merlin sent a look towards the large door to the side of Gwen's door, which led into Morgana's big, plushie office. "Are you sure that was a good thing to do?"  
  
Gwen grinned. "Yeah, if anything she'll be..."  
  
The doors flew open and Morgana, in a smart suit that did everything to show off her curves and breasts, stalked towards them, high heels tapping furiously against the tiles. The striking beauty lowered herself onto the seat next to Merlin and turned to him, eyes narrowed. "What's this about a date?" Her eyes narrowed further. "Are you and Arthur fighting?"  
  
Merlin wondered why everyone had come (correctly) to that conclusion. "We had an argument."  
  
Morgana's grinned so suddenly and brightly it was blinding. "Lovely!" She clasped her hands together, looking nothing like the terrifying lawyer everyone in court knew. "I'll help." She turned to Gwen, her legal secretary. "Who do you think Arthur would hate the most? Vivian or Catrina?"  
  
"You can't make Catrina go out on a date with Merlin!" Gwen gasped in horror. "She's way too old for him and is an utter  _troll_!"  
  
"True." Morgana decided. "And Vivian is off-putting enough anyway.  _And_  she's blonde.  _And_  blue-eyed.  _And_  somewhat arrogant and conceited." A sly smile curled her lips as she turned to Merlin. "Just your type, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"Well, arrogant and conceited aside," Merlin frowned, not liking it when Morgana talked about her own sister that way. "I do like that coloring."  
  
"Don't we know." Gwen mumbled.  
  
"What?" Merlin frowned.  
  
"And how perfect is it that she owes me a favor?" Morgana grinned, standing. "I'll go get her."  
  
Merlin turned and watched her go, before turning his attention back on Gwen. "She's going to go ask her now?"  
  
"You know Morgana." Gwen smiled tenderly, watching the dark haired woman walk away determinedly. "No time like the present."  
  
Merlin was suddenly nervous.  
  
He didn't want to do this anymore.  
  
"So, what did you and Arthur fight about?" Gwen asked, taking his mind away from his nervous thoughts.  
  
"He accused me of being bisexual."  
  
Gwen blinked. "Honey, you  _are_  bisexual."  
  
Merlin narrowed his eyes. "What is it with everyone? I'm  _not_ -."  
  
"What about that time with Will?" Gwen wanted to know, eyebrow raised.  
  
"No one's going to let me live that one down." Merlin moaned, bringing his hand to his face. "That was a one time thing to satisfy curiosity and it doesn't count."  
  
"But Leon, junior year, behind the bleachers during the rugby game counts." Gwen announced, face amused. "And Tristan, senior year, at that halloween party where he dressed up as a black knight and later showed you his sword...that counts too."  
  
Merlin's eyes widened, his face going pale. "How did you  _know_  about those two times?"  
  
"You're a lousy drunk, bro." Gwen giggled. "You spill everything, and I mean everything." She ducked her head. "I spent my whole senior year wondering about said _magnificent_  sword!"  
  
"Oh god." Merlin groaned, covering his face. "I can't believe I told you about that."  
  
"You have no secrets from your sister." Gwen smiled, reaching over to play with his hair. "I know that only happened those two times, but you bloody enjoyed it, Merlin, being half drunk or not at the time. And I think the reason why you were so defensive was because you know you are, but you weren't ready to face it, at least not with Arthur."  
  
"He hates gays, you know." Merlin sighed, not knowing why he was telling her this. "Lancelot said that Will used to like Arthur, but Arthur shot him down terribly and said the worst things about gays."  
  
Gwen looked at Merlin pitifully. "Honey, I understand how that can shake you up a bit, but believe me, Arthur doesn't hate gays."  
  
"Oh he  _does_. He does." Merlin whispered. "You should have seen him when he asked me if anything was going on with me and Lancelot! I thought his head was going to burst from the anger!"  
  
Gwen stopped, eyes wide. "He-wait-what?  _MERLIN_!" She hissed. "You  _never_  told me about this part of the story! And it sounds like the  _juiciest_  part! TELL!"  
  
"Well, I went with Lancelot to Arthur's workpalce because Arthur and Will got into a physical fight..."  
  
"Wait, you know what Arthur does?" Gwen's eyes widened. "Is he a porn star?"  
  
Merlin had to chuckle at that. "No. He's not. He owns his own fashion company."  
  
Gwen froze. "Arthur..."  
  
"Have you ever heard of Albion Fashions?"  
  
" _No way_." Gwen blinked. "I love that place!" She grinned. "I'm going to get discounts form now on just you watch me!"  
  
Her enthusiasm was endearing.  
  
"Okay, okay, I'll gush over the discounts later." Gwen calmed down slowly, breathing in and out, before returning her attention to her foster brother. "So, tell me how this all happened. The jealousy part I mean."  
  
"Jealousy?" Merlin frowned at her. "What are you talking about?"  
  
She made a face at him. "Okay, the suspicious and possessiveness concerning Lancelot, how did this happen?"  
  
Merlin paused, feeling light inside, kinda liking those words. "Uhm, I'm not sure. Arthur asked if I wanted to have lunch, and I said no Lancelot had already gotten me something, and then Arthur got angry and said that Lancelot was really attentive to my needs and that we seemed closer than friends and asked if I needed to tell him anything like about my sexuality." Merlin sighed, remembering that argument. "I told him I had a date, with a girl, and he told me to bring her home so she could meet my family."  
  
Gwen was grinning so tenderly, the expression on her face similar to the one she wore when watching really sappy romance movies. "Boys are such idiots."  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Merlin frowned.  
  
"Merlin!" Morgana announced, arriving with about the most beautiful blonde woman Merlin had ever seen in his life. "I want you to meet Vivian. Vivian, this is Merlin. Your date for tonight."  
  
The gorgeous blonde looked Merlin over. "I don't get it." She turned to Morgana. "He's quite cute in a quirky, all-limbs sorta way. Why did you use your favor to get me to go out on a date with him? I would've done it even without you using that over my head."  
  
" _Really_?" Morgana seemed surprised.  
  
Merlin didn't know whether to feel complimented by Vivian's statement or insulted by Morgana's reaction.  
  
Vivian turned to Merlin and outstretched her hand. "Nice to meet you, I'm Vivian."  
  
"Nice to meet you too." He reached for her hand and liked the firmness of the hold. "Merlin."  
  
"Like the sorcerer?" She raised an eyebrow.  
  
He nodded.  
  
She grinned. "Have you heard about the legends of Merlin and Vivian?"  
  
Merlin blinked, unable to believe that she new anything about the legends of old. He grinned brightly.  
  
 _"If I come not,_  
  
The Lady Vivian will remember me,  
  
And say: 'I knew him when his heart was young,  
  
Though I have lost him now.  
  
Time called him home,  
  
And that was as it was; for much is lost  
  
Between Broceliande and Camelot.'"  
  
Vivian stared at him in awe, before grinning brightly. "What time are you picking me up tonight?"  
  
"Is eight fine with you?" Merlin asked.  
  
"Perfect." VIvian's grin was that of an enchantress. "Come, I'll write down my address for you."  
  
And with that she led him away.  
  
And neither noticed the concerned looks Gwen and Morgana shared.


	12. Chapter Twelve

"So how did you meet her?" Arthur asked, leaning against the doorframe in mock nonchalance as Merlin got dressed for the date.  
  
Freya, Sophia and Mordred were in the room, on the bed, keeping an eye on the dark haired man. And they were worried. Especially the girls. They'd never seen Merlin go through so many clothes only to discard them and look once more. He really acted like he wanted to look good for this woman, whom he wasn't even telling the name of. Smart man. He knew that when Sophia put her mind to something a name could be all she needed.  
  
"Morgana introduced us." Merlin replied, picking out the most decent pants and shirt he owned.  
  
Freya's bottom lip quibbled.  
  
"The  _cross-dressing cyborg_?" Arthur's eyes narrowed. "I should've known. You should run far away from anyone that creature associates with."  
  
"You know, you have to stop talking about her like that." Merlin glared at Arthur, and not amused this time. "She's been there for me during the darkest period of my life, and I won't put up with you calling her names."  
  
Arthur looked away, face troubled. "I don't  _really_  mean it when I-."  
  
"I don't care." Merlin snapped, before taking in a deep breath and trying once more. "Just please refrain from talking about her like that from now on."  
  
Arthur didn't answer, and didn't look at Merlin either.  
  
Mordred sighed.  
  
"So, where are you taking this mystery woman?" Sophia wanted to know, eyes narrowed.  
  
"La Belle." Her father answered.  
  
Her eyes widened in scandal. "But you never go eat there because you say its bloody expensive!"  
  
"Language!" Merlin turned towards her.  
  
Sophia deflated, pouting. "Sorry daddy."  
  
He sighed and went to bathe, taking the clothes with him.  
  
Sophia watched him go and stayed silent until she heard the shower come on.  
  
Then, she turned to Arthur with narrowed eyes and jumped off the bed, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room behind her into the living room. When she was sure that there was enough distance between them and her showering father, she let go of Arthur's hand and narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
"What are you planning on doing about this? Because I'm giving you one opportunity to do something before I step in." Her eyes narrowed and her hands went to her hips. "And when I step in, shit will  _fly_."  
  
"Sophie...language." Arthur sighed, bending down to look at her. "You know your father is already annoyed with me for swearing in front of you all. Try not to follow in my example and get me in more trouble with him?"  
  
Her eyes narrowed, not moved. "Then bloody DO something!"  
  
Arthur looked away, not seeming to notice Mordred and Freya in the background, watching them intently. "What do you want me to do? Your father has every right to go out with someone if he wants to."  
  
"Says who?" Sophia wanted to know, snorting.  
  
Arthur managed to smile somewhat at her.  
  
"You have to do something." Sophia ordered. "Be more of a prat than usual. Scare her away."  
  
Arthur's expression was comical. "Did you just call me a prat?"  
  
"She means that in the best of ways." Freya hurriedly exclaimed.  
  
"No she doesn't." Mordred snorted.  
  
Arthur, defeated, turned his attention to Sophia. "Why would even want me to scare her away, Soph? Your father obviously feels he needs someone..."  
  
"He has someone." Sophia glared at him. "He has many someones! He has us! He has you. That's all he needs."  
  
Arthur cleared his throat. "I mean it in a different way, honey. Your father needs-."  
  
"Someone to  _fuck_ , yes, I know what you're talking about. I'm not a  _baby_  you know." Sophia sneered at him, taking advantage of his moment of utter speechless horror. "Just because he's sick of being celibate doesn't mean he should go screwing the first hussy auntie Morgana throws his way. And I will be talking to her about this very soon, believe me. This won't happen again."  
  
Arthur continued speechless.  
  
"We want you to know that we understand more than you all seem to believe we do." Freya cleared her throat, seeming nervous to speak. "And we know you care about our daddy more than as a friend."  
  
"It's kinda pathetically obvious." Mordred nodded, not at all sympathetic to his father's plight.  
  
"I don't think-." Arthur began.  
  
"Yes, you've broached the very problem of the matter." Sophia agreed, cutting into whatever he was going to say. "You don't  _think_. What if my father falls in love with this hussy? Where does that leave you and Mordred? Huh? You think this woman will be happy with the way our lives are going right now? No. SHE will want to be the one here,  _all the friggen time_ , and she will be the one my father spends his time with, shares his concerns with, laughs with. Okay? Not you. You're going to be replaced." She narrowed her eyes. "Why are you pretending to be noble? Huh? You're not noble. Don't be noble. Be a selfish prat. You'll enjoy it more."  
  
Arthur collapsed onto the sofa. "I can't believe I'm having this conversation."  
  
"Me neither." Sophia narrowed her eyes at him. "I would have thought you two would have gotten your acts together before things deteriorated this far!"  
  
Arthur just looked at Sophia. "How old are you again?"  
  
"Don't change the subject." Sophia glared.  
  
"Soph, time out." Freya cleared her throat and went to sit next to Arthur, looking soulfully up into his eyes. "We don't want you to go, Arthur. We-we love you." She blushed and looked down. "And we're really happy having you and Mordred around. We don't want that to change. That's why Sophia's being all mean."  
  
"I'm being blunt, but some people can't take the truth and call it mean." Sophia defended herself. "There's a difference."  
  
"Hush." Freya surprised everyone by saying, before turning to Arthur, placing her hand on his. "Whose going to be there to battle the monsters away if you're not in the other room when I wake up from another nightmare?"  
  
Arthur looked down at her, face filled with millions of emotions. " _Frey_..."  
  
"And I'm not going back to that empty house." Mordred assured him, taking in a deep breath. "So you better make sure you don't lose Merlin because I'm not leaving here, dad. This is home."  
  
Arthur turned to look at his son in silence before giving a little smile. "This  _is_  home, isn't it?"  
  
Mordred nodded, scratching the side of his face. "And, you know, I agree with Soph. You should be an utter bastard. But when Merlin isn't looking, of course. He won't forgive you otherwise."  
  
Arthur smiled and leaned forwards, pressing a kiss to Freya's forehead, before getting up and hugging Sophia and Mordred before going to his room.  
  
Obviously to think.  
  
The kids shared a look as his door closed.  
  
"What do you think?" Mordred frowned.  
  
"I'm shocked Freya actually told me to hush." Sophia admitted.  
  
"He meant about the situation." Freya rolled her eyes.  
  
The redhead made a face. "He's an adult, you can't trust him to do the job correctly."  
  
"I agree." Mordred was quick to nod.  
  
Freya took in a deep breath. "So we prepare phase one then? Just in case?"  
  
Sophia nodded. "Most definitely."  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
"You did remember to tell him that if he wants to bail in the middle of the date to text us and we'll call with some excuse, right?" Morgana checked for the hundredth time.  
  
"Yes." Gwen sighed as they sat on their sofa, unwinding after the long day at work. "I told him, and he's sure he won't need our help." She frowned. "I'm kinda sure he won't either."  
  
"Oh bollocks." Morgana grumbled. "If I had known that he'd actually like that girl-!" She glared. "I mean, Pendragon's an utter asshole, but he's an asshole I've gotten used to! I could never get used to Vivian!"  
  
"She's sweet."  
  
"She's annoying." Morgana countered.  
  
"She'd be a good mother for the girls."  
  
"The girls have two mothers! Us!" Morgana replied. "It's only fair they get two daddies as well!"  
  
Gwen suddenly grinned. "Admit it Mor, you want Merlin to end up with Arthur. You're invested in their relationship."  
  
Morgana pouted. "I will never admit to such things."  
  
Gwen just sighed and leaned against her girlfriend, cuddling. "Don't worry, I doubt one date is going to change anything."  
  
Morgana gasped in horror. "Gwen! You just jinxed us!"  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
"I find it so commendable, how you took care of your children like that after she left you." Vivian commented over her dish, smiling. "Some fathers just don't take to fatherhood, but the look on your face when you talk about your kids, its very endearing."  
  
Merlin blushed as he looked down at his own plate. "I've been talking nonstop since we sat down, haven't I?"  
  
"But I've enjoyed listening!" Vivian was quick to reassure him. "You have a very intriguing life, Merlin. Especially this relationship you have with this Arthur guy and his son even since finding out that he was the one your wife left you for." She smiled. "That shows the type of man you are, you know? I can't think of anyone else, myself included, who would have reacted that well to everything the way you did."  
  
Merlin cleared his throat, blushing darker. "Yes, well, Arthur can be a prat, but he's also one of the best persons I know. He's incredibly generous and loving when you get to know him. He-he has a hard time showing that to Mordred, or, well, he used to. They're slowly building a much more closer relationship. It's beautiful to watch them get passed each other's walls."  
  
Vivian watched him silently.  
  
"And he's always looking out for me, though he denies it to the end." Merlin grinned brightly. "And he's always trying to pay for everything, which is utterly annoying, but since he'd staying with me I know he feels that way he isn't leeching, which he isn't. Me and the girls love having him and Mordred around. They're part of the family."  
  
Vivian's smile went tender. "He very protective?"  
  
"Yeah, sometimes ridiculously so." Merlin snorted. "I think, sometimes, he really believes I'm a girl."  
  
The blonde laughed at that. "Oh, I doubt that."  
  
"No, seriously!" Merlin announced, clearing his throat. "He says: 'Merlin, you're such a girl' all the time!"  
  
Vivian brought her napkin to her mouth as she laughed, body shaking.  
  
Merlin grinned at her before taking another bite of his food.  
  
When she'd finally gotten over her fit of giggles, Vivian pulled the napkin from her lips. "Your family sounds beautiful, Merlin. I hope to one day have one like that myself, but I just haven't found the right guy." She gave him an amused look. "All the good ones are taken, or gay."  
  
"Not all..." He worked on cutting a bite.  
  
"Those I met at least." She replied easily. "So, tell me more about you and Arthur."  
  
"Not really much to tell." He shrugged. "Best friend. Prat. Housemate. Sometimes co-parent, sometimes yet another child to look after. That sums everything up perfectly."  
  
"What does he think about us going to dinner?"  
  
Merlin paused. "To be truthful, he wasn't very happy."  
  
"I can imagine." Vivian grinned, shaking her head. "You know, I find it ironic. I'm a Vivian, you're a Merlin, and he's an Arthur."  
  
Merlin paused. "I hadn't thought of that."  
  
Vivian looked both ways, before leaning forwards on the table and lowering her voice. "You know, between you and me, I always thought the king should have bumped uglies with the warlock."  
  
Merlin choked on his chicken, eyes watering as he hit his chest. "Excuse me?"  
  
She giggled at his reaction. "Well, Vivian was the love of Merlin's life, and she was that of his, right? But she allowed her love to become obsessive enough to trap Merlin for herself for all eternity. And I always thought that Arthur got engaged to Guinevere to try and get Merlin to act. I mean come on, Merlin warned Arthur beforehand that marrying Guinevere would end up in sorrow. Why else would Arthur, who trusted Merlin in everything, go against him because of some woman?"  
  
"Merlin was old." Was all Merlin could answer. "There was no way that anything was going on there."  
  
"I've done some research, and the term 'old' could have been symbolic for his knowledge, and not his age." Vivian responded with a grin.  
  
"He was old." Merlin shook his head.  
  
"Well, maybe Arthur liked older men with phallic hats."  
  
Merlin snorted, remembering the magician's pointy hats in the cartoons. "It was rather phallic, wasn't it?"  
  
She nodded before going back to the previous topid. "Another theory of mine is that he was really young, but made himself look so he'd be more respected."  
  
"Poppycock." Merlin shook his head. "He was old. And I can prove it." He cleared his throat.  
  
 _" **Old**  Merlin, skilled in Bardic lore,  
  
Well versed in many a mystic rite;  
  
Who, into past and future, saw;  
  
And, to whose inner sight,  
  
Was pictured many a secret thing!  
  
Sat in the forest near a spring.  
  
His beard and locks were  **white with years** ;  
  
But sight and hearing true and keen;  
  
And simple habits loved by seers,  
  
Gave zest for life, I ween:  
  
And so, on Vivian, he did gaze,  
  
When she would come the Bard to praise!"_  
  
"In that same poem..." Vivian grinned.  
  
" _Oh, Merlin, kiss me; press me close, my dear!  
  
I fain would have thee in my fairy realm,  
  
 **Renew thy youth** ; come quickly, never fear;  
  
For I command thee, come!"  
  
Madly did Merlin kiss the fairy Queen!  
  
In the dim forest wildly did he love!  
  
Her flesh to his with ecstasy supreme,  
  
His amorous heart did move!  
  
He kissed again, and lo! the forest dell,  
  
With branching oaks, before his sight did fade,  
  
A soothing glamour o'er his senses fell,  
  
His heart's swift course was stayed!"_  
  
Vivian's face went serious. "She enchanted him away from his place at Arthur's side, and made him her entranced lover. Because she knew that while he was entranced by her beauty and youth, and all they had in common, that he wouldn't have left Arthur's side for her. And she grew desperate and enchanted him during sex so that 'with youth renewed' he would be her 'lover dear, upon some fairy shore'." Vivian smiled sadly at Merlin. "I don't know you very well, Merlin, but listening to you talking, I know you wouldn't leave Arthur's side to be my lover upon some fairy shore...unless I knew magic and used it against you."  
  
He was silent, face made up in a thoughtful frown.  
  
The blonde reached over the table and placed her hand on his. "Are you getting what I'm telling you?"  
  
"You think I'm in love with Arthur." He nodded.  
  
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, and I think, just from hearing how you say he acts with you, that he likes you too."  
  
"He hates gays." Merlin confessed. "He hates them with a passion."  
  
"He's in the closet then." Vivian announced. "But Merlin, he's in love with you, and you're in love with him. You two have a family together, can't you see that?" She smiled more tender. "You're practically married."  
  
Merlin blinked. "I-I-." He leaned back in his seat in awe. "He was acting weird about Lancelot being close to me...and about me going on this date."  
  
"He's jealous." Vivian assured him. "He mightn't even realize it. He might be just as adorably oblivious as you are about it, but you owe it to the both of you-and to your kids-to do something about this."  
  
Merlin still hesitated.  
  
The blonde tightened her hold on his hand. "Okay, I wasn't going to say anything, but looks like I'll have to." She smiled. "Remember when you asked me if I wanted to see a picture of your family? The picture you showed me has Arthur and Mordred in it." She paused. "I know Arthur Pendragon."  
  
Merlin's eyes widened. "What?"  
  
She looked a little sheepish. "We dated, kinda. Went out for dinner, twice." The blonde shook her head. "The Arthur Pendragon I know was nothing like the man you described. No one knows that Arthur Pendragon. Only you. He's let you in, Merlin. He's shown you how he really is." She squeezed his hand. "See what I'm getting at?"  
  
Merlin blinked, before looking up at her.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
"So where's this mysterious woman?" Arthur cleared his throat and stood up, taking in a deep breath when Merlin returned home that night. "Don't tell me she's so magnificent you had to keep her away out of fear that I'd steal her from you."  
  
Merlin paused, looking up at Arthur in odd contemplation.  
  
All the words Arthur had been practicing jumbled up in his throat.  
  
What...was up with Merlin?  
  
Was-was that really the reason why Merlin hadn't brought the bird over?  
  
"She was Vivian Melrose."  
  
Arthur froze, remembering the beautiful woman he'd once thought might be have been 'mother' material for Mordred, but he'd ended the relationship after two dates because she'd been too sweet, and she'd looked too much like Morgause. He couldn't consider spending his life with someone like Vivian, but Merlin? Would  _he_?  
  
"You have nothing to say about that?"  
  
"Yeah." Arthur cleared his throat. "She's too blonde for you."  
  
"Too blonde." Merlin blinked. "So I shouldn't like blondes?"  
  
"Yes!" Arthur grinned, until suddenly his eyes widened. "No! That is  _not_  what I'm saying! Blonde's are good. Very good. For you. Of course. I don't like blondes. I like brunettes."  
  
Merlin tilted his head to the side. "What are you saying, exactly?"  
  
"I-uh-I don't approve of you being with her." Arthur hadn't meant to say that, but he went with it. "Whoever you invite into your life you're inviting into mine, so I should have some say in this."  
  
Merlin was silent for a moment. "What about you?"  
  
Arthur froze. "What...about...me?"  
  
Something was lighting in those eyes. "When you find someone, do I have say in who she is?"  
  
Arthur frowned. "Me find someone?"  
  
"Yeah." Merlin nodded. "You find someone."  
  
Arthur hadn't studied for this test. "Yes?"  
  
That odd look entered Merlin's eyes once more. "Good night Arthur."  
  
Arthur opened his mouth, and couldn't think of anything to say.  
  
He just turned and watched Merlin go towards his room, closing the door.  
  
And then Arthur cursed angrily, kicking at the sofa. "Dammit!  _Coward_!"  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
"He bombed." Mordred sighed, closing the door on his father's disgrace. "We're going to go ahead with the plan."  
  
"I knew it." Sophia sighed, looking under the bed and pulled out a large, antique spell book. "Lock the door, we don't need someone walking in on us."  
  
Mordred locked the door.  
  
Freya reached under her bed and pulled out a box and put it on the bed. "Everything we need is in here."  
  
"Good, good." Sophia nodded, watching as Freya put everything out on the bed.  
  
Mordred joined them. "I've never done anything like this before."  
  
"Me neither." Freya admitted.  
  
"How hard can it be?" Sophia scoffed, grabbing the sheet of white parchment paper. She looked at the incense. "You sure that is love drawing incense?"  
  
Freya nodded. "I followed the book to the letter. I mixed 2 tablespoons of sandalwood, lavender buds, and orris root powder to the powdered mixture and added six drops of rose oil and one drop of cherry oil."  
  
"Good." Sophia nodded, drawing two male symbols-or the symbols of Mars-onto the parchment.  
  
Mordred went to the closet and opened the door, to reveal he'd altar assembled there.  
  
"Nice job." Sophia grinned.  
  
Mordred smirked. "I know."  
  
Sophia placed the paper on the alter and set two red candles on the paper, one over each Mars symbol. Together the kids cast a circle as they'd studied, and then Mordred, who had the most power of the three, stepped forwards, lighting the first red candle.  
  
 _"Lord of lust, we appeal to thee_ ," he lit the second candle.  _"Lord of lust, make it be."_  He lit the charcoal, and when it began to glow, he sprinkled the love-drawing incense on it.  
  
Freya stepped forwards with a patch of blonde hair that had been collected from Arthur's brush, and dropped it into the flame of the first candle.  
  
Sophia stepped forwards with a patch of black hair that'd been snatched from her father's brush, dropping it into the flame of the second candle.  
  
Staring into the smoke, Mordred visualized the ones whose hair had been burnt.  
  
 _"The god of lust their eyes do kiss,  
  
And rise into ether, gather into mist,  
  
Then return to Earth and their feelings impart,  
  
_ _A passion so great as to inflame their heart."_  
  
Suddenly the flames on the candles quivered violently before going out simultaneously.  
  
The kids shared a look.  
  
Freya worried her bottom lip. "Did it work?"  
  
Mordred made up his mouth.  
  
Sophia took in a deep breath. "We'll know after they wake up tomorrow. It will have taken effect by then."  
  
The kids shared a grin, and then hurried to get rid of the evidence.


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Waking up, Merlin knew something was wrong.  
  
Eyes narrowing, he hesitated getting out of bed, but he knew that whatever it was that was wrong needed to be confronted, not avoided. With a sigh he got out of bed and bathed, slipping into a t-shirt and comfortable jeans before easing his way out of the room, still trying to figure out what it was he was sensing. The raven haired man walked silently down the long corridor, wondering why he couldn't hear the saturday morning cartoons blaring in the living room right about now. That was what a usual saturday morning entailed, and this was enough to give him the reassurance that something was going on. The magic inside of him was churning, as if working hard, and it bothered him. The last time his magic had reacted this way was when someone of lesser power had tried to hex him. The magic inside of him had filtered out the weak spell.  
  
But it'd felt a  _lot_  like this.  
  
Merlin's eyes narrowed.  
  
Someone had tried to put a spell on him.  
  
His first thought went to Cornelius Sigan or one of his minions, but then he quickly shook that concern off.  
  
This magic was way too weak for that.  
  
This was  _amateur_  magic.  
  
His eyes narrowed.  
  
This was  _child's_  magic.  
  
Suddenly, it all fell into place.  
  
His kids had tried to put a spell on him.  
  
That was why they weren't in front of the telly watching their cartoons.  
  
They were waiting to see the results of their spell.  
  
 _But what spell? Why would they want to cast one on me?_  
  
Merlin brought a hand to his forehead.  
  
 _Why do I have the feeling that this was **all**  Sophia's doing?_  
  
The weary father snuck into his daughter's room and was surprised to find them sleeping. Performing the spell had obviously worn them out, as they were unused to having their powers tapped into to perform the magic. He felt concern but knew they were going to be okay, so he took the opportunity to sneak through their things, finally finding a large spell book he was  _sure_  he'd forbidden Morgana to give the girls for their birthday. The man sighed as he sat down on the edge of his redheaded daughter's bed, and flipped through the tome.  
  
The spells were harmless enough.  
  
They consisted of mostly minor things like glamour or luck or love or...  
  
He paused when he saw the page that had been bookmarked.  
  
Lust.  
  
The man closed his eyes tightly.  
  
 _They couldn't have..._  
  
But as he opened his eyes and forced himself to go over the ingredients and what else was needed, he grew more and more convinced that this was the spell that'd been used.  
  
Especially since Sophia had written little notes on the side of the pages, referring to 'daddy' and 'papa'...as two separate people.  
  
Merlin closed his eyes once more.  
  
His daughter had cast a lust spell on him and Arthur.  
  
 _Morgana will be hearing from me very soon.  
_  
Thank the  _gods_  the children's powers were too weak to really have any grand effect.  
  
Merlin grew horrified of what would have happened had the spell taken over.  
  
One did  _not_  cast spells of this nature over other people.  
  
This was messing with their free will.  
  
Messing with the balance of magic itself.  
  
Merlin stood and held the book tightly, looking at his daughters.  
  
In sleep they looked angelic, Freya hugging her unicorn plushie, and Sophia hugging her gryphon plushie.  
  
Merlin sighed.  
  
He had no doubt that Mordred had been in on this too.  
  
What was he going to do about this?  
  
THIS was why he hadn't wanted magic to be a part of his children's education or life!  
  
Magic gave people the feeling that they were gods, that they could accomplish anything, have anything, with only a couple of chants and a ritual.  
  
It was that sort of mentality that made people like Cornelius Sigan.  
  
And he refused for his children to start down that road.  
  
To try and bewitch him and Arthur to...  
  
Merlin paused in horror.  
  
 _Arthur_.  
  
What if the magic had worked on him?  
  
Feeling a little queasy, the warlock left the room in search of the blonde.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
"Don't you think you're being a little harsh?" Nimueh asked blandly as she sat at his desk, painting her nails.  
  
Uther, who'd frozen in the doorway when he'd seen her there, glared at her. "He got in a fight with the man he was supposed to protect."  
  
"Your son's a prat, just like you're an asshole." Nimueh didn't even look up from her nails. "You can't really blame Will for fighting with him. I can quite understand. I want to bash in your head at  _least_  twice daily."  
  
He glared at her. "Is that any way to speak to your superiors?"  
  
She grinned, finally looking up at him. "Not really."  
  
Sighing, not sure he could put up with this, Uther stormed to the desk, and after realizing that she wasn't going to move from his large, comfy chair, he sent her a glare and sat down on the much less comfortable one visitors were supposed to sit on. "I should fire you."  
  
"Then who would have the balls to tell you when you're being utterly bastardy?" Nimueh asked curiously, blowing on her nails.  
  
Uther just sighed and tried to get comfortable in his seat.  
  
He couldn't.  
  
Nimueh continued to blow on her nails.  
  
Uther sighed, very put upon. "I'm not  _utterly_  bastardy."  
  
"You have your days." She murmured, wriggling her fingers in front of her. "But you're not here to discuss your bastardy ways."  
  
"No." He agreed. "I'm here because it's  _my_  office and I want to sit down in  _my_  comfortable chair. We've had a long night last night, with Sigan's men attacking. Lancelot is still with the men scouting for any that may have escaped."  
  
Nimueh looked up at him finally. "It doesn't make any sense really, his latest hit."  
  
"Since when have Sigan ever made sense?" Uther wanted to know. "First he slaughters the whole Emrys family, and now he shows interest in Merlin?"  
  
"Merlin's powerful."  
  
"Merlin is obviously more intelligent than he looks." Uther replied. "He's enamored with my son, it shows he's smarter than to side with Sigan."  
  
"Merlin and Arthur share a soul, Uther. They're  _both_  enamored." Nimueh raised an eyebrow. "And anyway, it will happen. It's their destiny, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, destiny." Uther sighed. "Quite a bothersome thing it is."  
  
"I know." Nimueh rolled her eyes. "I was raised with the knowledge that my destiny was to serve you if you remember right. Of course, during my training I was naive enough to think this would be an honor, not a condemning."  
  
Uther snorted. "Any other master would have whipped you by now. I've done good by you."  
  
"I'm sure telling yourself that helps you sleep better at night." She snarked before making a face. "What are we going to do about Morgana? She's researching the curse."  
  
"So have countless disgruntled females before who haven't been able to conform to the way things are and to the male superiority."  
  
Nimueh narrowed her eyes.  
  
Uther raised an eyebrow.  
  
The female took in a deep breath. "You know, if she breaks the curse, the first one I'm hexing is you."  
  
"I should have you whipped for that."  
  
"Yes you should."  
  
They glared at each other.  
  
Finally, Uther sighed. "What on  _earth_  did I  _ever_  do to deserve having you as an underling?"  
  
Nimueh just smirked.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
Arthur had gotten up early because he was pissed off at himself.  
  
He'd completely failed last night.  
  
He didn't fail at  _anything_.  
  
It was  _inconceivable_.  
  
So he'd gotten up early and decided on his game plan. He was going to talk to Merlin and he was going to lay everything down straight and then Merlin was just going to have to realize that this was where everything had been leading to from the moment he'd first seen those damned bodyguards trying to kidnap Mordred for Sigan. Yes, Arthur was sure that this was where it had all been leading, there were too many ties that bound them together, Morgause, their children, their friendship, their families, their souls. There were too many things for it to just be a coincidence.  
  
Arthur-Arthur had always known he could swing both ways, he'd known it since he was young, but he'd also known how his father would disapprove of him more than he already did. He'd known that the boys would taunt him, alienate him, knew that the word faggot would be thrown around, and knew that school was his only refuge. There was no way that he would have put it all in jeopardy, not for a boy, especially not when Arthur liked girls too. So he'd scored with any girl he could, rejected in the worst possible ways any of the boys who asked him out, and he became a legend in school. His refuge remained intact.  
  
But then graduation had come and the whole thing with his father had happened, and he was on the street, and then he was modeling...and it was interesting to realize just how accepted that sort of lifestyle was in the fashion business. He'd experimented, he'd liked, but he still hadn't had the courage to have a relationship with another man. And then Morgause had come along and the rest was history.  
  
Then after Morgause he'd felt very disconnected, from everyone, even his own son. He hadn't been able to feel comfortable enough, trust anyone else...  
  
...until Merlin.  
  
And that should have made warning bells go off in the blonde's head.  
  
Without even realizing it he'd opened up in ways he never had. He smiled, he laughed, he joked and he teased. He didn't really recognize himself anymore.  
  
And he  _liked_  it.  
  
He liked the person he was when around Merlin, and Arthur couldn't think of a time in his life when he could actually say that with total honesty.  
  
He  _loved_  living here with Merlin,  _loved_  their children, their home, their  _life_.  
  
He was actually anxious to get home at the end of the day.  
  
He'd never experienced that before Merlin.  
  
Like love.  
  
Arthur took in a deep breath, very nervous.  
  
Then again, he'd been feeling a little sick ever since he'd woken up...so that was probably what was making his stomach feel so weird.  
  
Hearing footsteps he looked up and stood immediately when Merlin appeared in the kitchen. "Merlin."  
  
Merlin froze, as if...scared...before eyeing him suspiciously. "Arthur."  
  
Arthur frowned slightly.  
  
This was not the reaction he was used to receiving early in the morning. "You okay?"  
  
" _I_ am." Merlin nodded slowly. "How about you?"  
  
"A little sick to my stomach," Once again Arthur wasn't filtering what he said. This was becoming a terrible habit where Merlin was concerned.  
  
"Like a little cramp in the base of your stomach?" Merlin wanted to know.  
  
"Yeah." Arthur was surprised at how well that explained it.  
  
Merlin blinked. "You're filtering it out."  
  
"Excuse me?" Arthur frowned, getting more and more confused.  
  
"Just one question." Merlin cleared his throat. "You don't want to...I don't know... _jump me_  right about now, do you?"  
  
Arthur's eyes widened.  
  
Merlin was psychic.  
  
He---he knew all along!  
  
He---the  _bastard_!  
  
He'd known how Arthur felt and he'd still gone for Vivian "Huge Knockers" Melrose?  
  
"To be honest, I feel more like  _killing_  you right about now than jumping you."  
  
Merlin blinked. "I'm confused, but relieved."  
  
Arthur shook his head.  
  
This wasn't going at all like he'd planned. "Look, Merlin..."  
  
"Our kids performed a lust spell on us last night."  
  
And like that, all the words he'd practiced flew out the window.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Merlin sighed, coming towards him and sitting down on the sofa Arthur had just stood up from, placing a large tome on the coffee table. "They performed a lust spell from this book on us. It didn't work though, it was too weak to have any affect on me and my magic is filtering it out of me, which makes me feel a little sick and I have a small cramp at the base of my stomach."  
  
Arthur sat down, frowning. "But I don't have any magic to filter it out."  
  
"I think its our life essence." Merlin cleared his throat. "It's seeing us as one, so it's filtering it out of you as well using my magic...which is...really...our magic combined in the end, isn't it?"  
  
Arthur couldn't believe it, and shook his head. "I-." He sighed. "Why do I feel Sophia's behind the spell?"  
  
Merlin snorted. "The three of them are."  
  
"Princess Freya too?" Arthur frowned, before blinking. "Wait. You said lust spell, not love spell."  
  
Merlin nodded slowly.  
  
"Why would they-?  _Oh_." Arthur was going to kill them.  
  
He really was.  
  
 _Okay_.  
  
Maybe not  _kill_  them.  
  
But they were so horribly grounded!  
  
"I think I might be in love with you."  
  
Arthur froze, turning slowly to look at Merlin. "What?"  
  
"I think I might have always been." Merlin's face was nervous, ridiculously so, as he refused to look at Arthur. "I just didn't notice it, my experience with men is very limited and..."  
  
"You've had experience with men before?" Arthur's eyes narrowed, as that dark, ugly sense of possessiveness and jealousy he felt whenever Merlin spoke about anyone else in his life reared its head once more.  
  
Merlin looked nearly terrified. "It was only that time with Will and-."  
  
" _Will_?" Arthur snarled, standing. "I'm going to kill him! I'm going to-!"  
  
For a moment Merlin seemed utterly lost, and then his eyes widened. "Not  _that_  Will! A different one! A childhood friend!"  
  
"Oh." It still didn't make the darkness any better, only left him more frustrated since he didn't have anyone to beat up for touching Merlin.  
  
Merlin gulped. "I---I know that you detest homosexuals, Lancelot told me about how you'd turned down Will and I-."  
  
Arthur turned towards Merlin, frowning. "Lancelot did what?" His eyes narrowed. "I don't want him in our house again, do I make that clear, Merlin?"  
  
"Excuse me?" Merlin gasped, standing. "Why would-?"  
  
"He obviously likes you Merlin!" Arthur snapped. "And I won't let him near you!"  
  
Merlin paused. "I'm...confused. You had no problem with me going out on that date yesterday."  
  
Arthur snorted. "You're oblivious,  _Mer_ lin. You've  _always_  been oblivious. And I was trying to be the better man. And, to be truthful? I didn't think you'd hit it off with whoever the chit was. Of course I didn't realize at the time that it was _Huge Knockers_  Melrose."  
  
Merlin looked up at him curiously. "Are you...jealous?"  
  
Arthur glared at him before looking away. "Of course not."  
  
He missed the amused expression growing on Merlin's face.  
  
"So the thought of me might being in love with you doesn't bother you?"  
  
"Of course it does!" He snapped, turning to the lithe male. "There's a  _might_  there! I don't feel a  _might_  in my feelings for you!"  
  
He then froze, realizing what he'd just said.  
  
 _Shit_.  
  
He was supposed to be all smooth and sweep this idiot off his feet and-.  
  
Merlin made an odd sort of sound in his throat, before shaking his head. "Are you telling me you love me?"  
  
Arthur took in a deep breath. "Something along those lines."  
  
Merlin chuckled. "You're such a  _prat_. Even in this circumstance."  
  
Arthur frowned.  
  
That wasn't a good reaction, was it?  
  
But then Merlin took in a deep breath and reached over, placing his hand on Arthur's.  
  
Arthur froze, looking at that hand, before smirking, and tightening his grip. "I knew her knockers didn't have the power to sway you away from my charm."  
  
Merlin rolled his eyes and looked away, but his hand remained there. "We're going to have to talk later about how this changes things...and where we go from here...but for right now, we need to talk about those kids and what sort of punishment we're going to give them."  
  
 _Punishment_?  
  
Those kids deserved a reward!  
  
And yet Arthur just nodded, and caressed the skin of Merlin's hand with his thumb.  
  
They sat in silence, not even really looking at each other, but their hands were joined, and small smiles lit their faces.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
Morgana screamed as she jolted up in bed, eyes wide, skin paler than usual, sweat dotting her brow. She panted, looking around her, disoriented.  
  
"Baby?" Gwen awoke, like she always did when Morgana had a nightmare, and sat up as she rubbed her girlfriend's back soothingly. "What's wrong? What did you see?"  
  
"I don't know." The dark haired beauty whispered breathlessly, turning to her lover and reaching for her hand and the comfort only Gwen could give her. "But it was _bad_."


	14. Chapter Fourteen

"I don't know what it was, Mer, but it was bad." Morgana was obviously shaken by whatever it was she'd Seen. Her skin was pale, she was trembling, sweating, and there was a haunted expression in her usually lovely eyes.  
  
By her side sat Gwen, just as pale as her girlfriend, rubbing Morgana's back and yet looking up worriedly at her brother. "You should have seen her when she woke up Merlin. I've seen her have some bad ones, but this was the worst. She was so disoriented and terrified. She'd soaked the sheets through with her sweat and her heart was racing so erratically I was scared she'd have a heart attack."  
  
"Freya's been Seeing things she cant remember too." Merlin sighed, sitting down next to Arthur. They hadn't had much time to themselves since discovering each other's feelings that morning, but he knew that this was more important. Something was obviously going down, or going to go down soon. It could have something to do with Sigan, and if so they needed to be prepared.  
  
"We should tell Uther." Gwen announced, looking between Morgana and Merlin with worried brown eyes. "They're probably not the only Seers who are having these visions, and maybe the others remember something."  
  
Merlin's gaze went to his daughters room, knowing that they were tired, exhausted, from having cast the spell he was still going to ground them for. He'd always wanted his daughters to have a normal life, despite the blood that ran through his veins, but apparently they were being dragged into this sordid mess no matter what he did.  
  
"I'll call my father." Arthur sighed, standing, placing his hand on Merlin's shoulder before going towards the kitchen so he could speak with Uther in private.  
  
Merlin watched him until he disappeared, worried.  
  
"How's he taking everything?" Gwen asked softly.  
  
"Better than I would have hoped, but its still very hard on him." Merlin turned his attention back on her, expression grim. "At least we know something interesting. Even if that curse had taken root in Arthur, it wouldn't have killed him."  
  
"What curse?" Morgana frowned, worried, before she blinked. "You mean the tag-on curse Sigan placed on Mordred for Arthur?"  
  
Merlin nodded.  
  
Gwen tilted her head to the side, unkept curls framing her face. "Why do you think it wouldn't have killed him? That makes no sense."  
  
"The kids cast a spell on us last night." Merlin felt embarrassed to say this, especially since he couldn't be as annoyed with Morgana as he should be, not when she was like this. "A lust spell."  
  
Gwen's eyes widened and she blushed. "What?"  
  
Morgana smiled a little crookedly, shaking her head. "Obviously Soph's idea."  
  
"So you two...?" Gwen asked, curiously.  
  
"No!" Merlin went red. "They're kids, bloodlines alone, they don't know what they're doing and it wasn't strong enough to get passed my magical barriers. My magic filtered it out of my system, and then it filtered it out of Arthur's, without me telling it to."  
  
"But how?" Gwen blinked.  
  
"They have the same soul, and their magics are mixed." Morgana explained, pulling a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Merlin's magic doesn't see Arthur as another, but as an extension of Merlin himself."  
  
"That's..." Gwen smiled sweetly. "That's so romantic."  
  
"What did Arthur say when you explained things to him?" Morgana wanted to know, eyebrow raised. "And about the lust spell?"  
  
"He doesn't seem half as annoyed as me about it." Merlin admitted, shaking his head, darkly amused. "If anything, I think he's going to counteract any punishment I dish out."  
  
Gwen blinked. "Why would he be glad that they put a spell on him?"  
  
Morgana, on the other hand, was watching Merlin with the intensity of a predator. "Merlin." Her eyes were narrowed. "Remember our conversations about visiting unexpectedly and tabletops."  
  
Blushing from his ears down, Merlin looked away. "How could I forget?"  
  
Gwen looked between the two of them, frowning. "What are you two talking about?"  
  
"Merlin is with Arthur now." Morgana's expression was less displeased and more amused. "I'm trying to figure out what the lust spell has to do with those two finally telling each other what they felt, but its obviously the reason why Arthur isn't angry about it being cast."  
  
Gwen's eyes widened, turning on her adoptive brother. "Is that true? Are you finally with Arthur?"  
  
"We haven't put a name to what we are." Merlin couldn't look at them, embarrassed. "But we both know that, uh, we, have grow to love, each other."  
  
"He's stammering." Morgana chuckled evilly.  
  
"Isn't it so cute?" Gwen squealed before launching herself at her brother, hugging him tight. "I'm so glad Merlin! You two are so adorable together and your kids love you both and-I'm so happy!"  
  
Merlin chuckled, hugging his sister. "Thanks, Gwen."  
  
Pulling away, she pressed a kiss to his burning cheek and then grinned brightly at her girlfriend, reaching for her hand and threading her fingers through hers. "Do the kids know yet?"  
  
"No." Merlin shook his head. "They're still sleeping. Casting the spell took a toll on them."  
  
"Where's Lancelot and Will?" Morgana asked randomly, looking around the room, noticing for the first time the absence of the two protectors.  
  
"I don't know." Merlin admitted. "Will and Arthur got into a fight and Lancelot escorted Will back to the base. I haven't seen either of them since."  
  
"I hope they're all right." Gwen worried her bottom lip.  
  
Morgana slipped an arm around her girlfriend's waist and pulled her to her in a comforting way.  
  
Gwen rested her head of unruly curls on Morgana's shoulder.  
  
Merlin looked between them, smiling softly, before standing. "I'm going to check on Arthur."  
  
He walked towards the kitchen, finding Arthur leaning over the sink, looking out of the window with a troubled expression on his face. It was obvious that he really wasn't looking at anything, but was trapped in his thoughts.  
  
Merlin wanted to hug him, but felt a little embarrassed.  
  
They'd only just admitted that morning that they were in love with each other, and suddenly Merlin felt a little awkward with the person who'd made him feel most comfortable in his own skin.  
  
Arthur sighed and closed his eyes.  
  
He looked so troubled.  
  
Pushing his embarrassment aside, Merlin's face burnt bright as he hugged Arthur from behind, linking his fingers together as they met at Arthur's stomach.  
  
For a split second Arthur tensed up, and then he relaxed, his hand going to rest on top of Merlin's linked ones. "I could get used to this."  
  
Merlin rested his chin on Arthur's shoulder. "Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah." Arthur nodded, tightening his hold with a sigh. "I talked to my father. He said that Sigan's men have been attacking certain places randomly and have been keeping them busy trying to counteract them. Father doesn't know why he's doing that. He thinks Sigan has a plan that they're not onto yet."  
  
"Or he could be distracting them from whatever else he's actually doing." Merlin mumbled.  
  
Arthur sighed. "That same thought occurred to me."  
  
"Did he know if any other Seer has been having similar experiences as Frey and Morgana?" Merlin asked softly.  
  
"Apparently there are few Seers in the magical community." Arthur mumbled, obviously having been told so by his father during their conversation. "And those that we have, have recently 'gone blind'." Arthur frowned, turning in Merlin's arms so that he was still being held, and yet was now facing Merlin, resting back against the sink. "Can having the Sight turn you blind? Will Freya-?"  
  
Merlin's eyes narrowed. "Uther doesn't mean literally blind. He means that their Sight is gone, or shut off temporarily."  
  
"So every other Seer has had their Sight go black, but Freya and Morgana still have theirs?" Arthur asked, eyes narrowed. "How is that possible?"  
  
"Morgana's family have always had the strongest Seers, and Freya has so many strong bloodlines..." Merlin let go of Arthur and took a step back. "Someone must be casting a spell to blind the Seers so they won't know what's going to happen and stop it. But since Morgana and Freya are so strong they're unable to completely blind them, and yet its still blocking them in the way that they can't remember what they're Seeing."  
  
"Sigan's up to something big." Arthur guessed, face serious. "Is there any way that we can get Morgana and Frey to remember what they're Seeing?"  
  
"If they were stronger, they could filter out of the magic, like I do with the lust spell." Merlin murmured.  
  
"I thought you said that they're from the strongest-."  
  
"The curse, Arthur." Merlin looked up at him. "The curse of the females keeps most of the magic tapped down, remember that."  
  
"I never thought I'd say this, but we need to find a way to help the cross-dressing cyborg to unleash her full magic." Arthur folded his arms over his chest.  
  
Merlin nodded.  
  
There was silence between them.  
  
Merlin looked away.  
  
Arthur reached forwards and curled his finger in the waistband of Merlin's pants, pulling him to him, surprising the taller, thinner man.  
  
Blushing tomato red, Merlin's large blue eyes rested on Arthur's pleased face.  
  
"Hey." Arthur whispered.  
  
"Hi." Merlin gulped.  
  
"I'm going to kiss you now." Arthur let him know.  
  
Merlin couldn't keep the small grin off of his face. "I figured."  
  
Answering grin on his face, Arthur's gaze lowered to Merlin's lips as his hands went to Merlin's hips and he pulled him in closer.  
  
Merlin licked his lips nervously.  
  
A soft groan escaped Arthur's lips as he finally moved and captured Merlin's lips in their first kiss.  
  
It was sweet and soft, not as invading and capturing as Merlin had thought it might be.  
  
Melting into Arthur's embrace, Merlin tried to ignore the feeling in the back of his head that this moment of happiness and respite was only the silence before the storm.


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Sophia didn't mind the grounding they got as punishment for spelling their daddies. Really, with the gifts that daddy Arthur had given them on the sly when papa wasn't looking, she had no problem staying in her and Freya's room. Especially since she and Freya had Mordred to plan with, or, err, 'spend time' with. Also, the grownups were busy, and didn't pay much attention to them, so they got away with a lot of things that they wouldn't have if Papa had been able to make sure they remembered they were being punsihed. Aunties 'Gana and Gwen had basically moved into the house, bringing magical books that they and daddy Arthur and Papa were constantly going over.  
  
Daddy Arthur bitched about the large, ancient and dusty tomes, but he still helped.  
  
The kids weren't exactly sure what it was that the grownups were doing, but whatever it was it had them worried.  
  
Papa was constantly getting the migraines he got when he stressed over something, and Daddy had apparently discovered that a shoulder massage was the trick to alleviating them.  
  
Aunt Morgana called it groping.  
  
Aunt Gwen called it sweet.  
  
The kids called it progress.  
  
Even if Papa and Daddy hadn't had that 'official family meeting' to let the kids know that they were 'involved' it would have been obvious anyway. There'd always been stares between them, but usually when one wasn't looking at the other. Now they shared looks, secretive and smiling and...well...Sophia didn't know exactly what else, but it had the same element as the glances Aunties Gwen and Morgana's had, so the child decided that things were definitely on the right road.  
  
"I don't like the fact that they aren't sleeping in the same room now." Mordred frowned, talking softly, the dark room lit by a small flashlight since they were supposed to be sleeping right now. "Isn't that what people who are together do? Sleep in the same bed?"  
  
"I've seen parents doing that on the telly. And I know that Aunt Morgana and Aunt Gwen sleep in the same bed too." Freya agreed, looking worried despite their considerable victory. "Maybe something's wrong."  
  
"Nothing's wrong." Sophia rolled her eyes and turned to her siblings, who were laying down on Sophia and Freya's beds, which had been pushed together so there'd be enough room for Mordred to join them.  
  
She opened her mouth to say something else when suddenly she heard something and narrowed her eyes, bringing her finger to her lips with a 'shh'. The young redhead went to the door and opened it wide enough so she could peek through the crack into the hallway.  
  
Daddy Arthur pushed papa against the wall a little lower down the hall, plastering his body to his before kissing him deeply, hungrily.  
  
Papa whimpered and arched into him, threading his hands through Daddy's golden hair.  
  
Then it looked as if, in the darkness, Daddy was tickling Papa's stomach, or something like that.  
  
Sophia couldn't tell very good because it was very dark and she could only peek through a crack.  
  
But that must have been what was going on, because Papa acted as if he was being tickled.  
  
His breathing grew more erratic and his body jerked, and in the end he whimpered and pushed Daddy away.  
  
"Not...now." Papa cleared his throat, looking embarrassed.  
  
Probably ashamed at how ticklish he was.  
  
"Morgana and Gwen are going to bed." Daddy plastered himself against Papa once more, kissing him slowly, nibbling on his bottom lip. "The kids are sleeping sound, an earthquake wouldn't wake them up."  
  
Papa kissed back leisurely, his hands slowly traveling down the front of Daddy's shirt before moving to grab his hips. "Arthur..."  
  
Daddy silenced him with a deeper kiss, pinning Papa completely against the wall and his body.  
  
Sophia smiled.  
  
No wonder Daddy was so proud and happy with them.  
  
Now he got to kiss Papa in dark alleyways, and tickle him.  
  
Only close people did either.  
  
And then...and then they shifted slightly and Sophia's eyes widened when she realized that it wasn't Papa's stomach Daddy was paying so much attention to.  
  
Her eyes widened and a dark blush covered her cheeks.  
  
Aunt Morgana had answered all their questions when the twins realized that there was something that adults liked to do called 'sex'. She'd been most informative, showing them slideshows and books and Sophia knew how and why adults had sex, and that not only heterosexual couples did it but lesbian couples and gay couples did it as well. And Aunt Morgana had informed them on just how that happened too.  
  
So, as Daddy finally tore himself from Papa and began leading him by the hand towards Papa's bedroom, Sophia knew without a doubt that they were going to go and do 'the sex'.  
  
She watched them until the door closed behind them.  
  
Closing her own door, Sophia turned and leaned against it, an embarrassed yet pleased expression on her face. "They're going to fuck."  
  
Freya perked up at that. "This is progress!"  
  
Mordred, not as 'romantic' as the girls liked to call it, just shook his head. "About time."  
  
Freya turned to Mordred and opened her mouth to say something before suddenly all emotion melted off of her face and her eyes visibly clouded over as the Sight took over.  
  
Mordred caught her as she collapsed.  
  
"Frey?" Sophia rushed over to her twin, worried as she climbed onto the bed.  
  
Freya was limp in Mordred's arms, expression blank, eyes covered in a white sheen.  
  
"What's happening to her?" Mordred asked, horror in his eyes.  
  
"Freya will See things in her dreams...but when the Sight happens during times when she's awake, this happens." Sophia whispered, brushing a strand of dark hair of of Freya's face. "It's dangerous because she could fall and seriously hurt herself."  
  
Mordred looked down, worried about his older sister. "Will she be okay?"  
  
"Yeah." Sophia nodded, scooting closer. "That white thing will melt away when its over."  
  
Mordred gulped.  
  
It seemed to drag on to eternity, when finally Freya's eyes began to clear and she blinked.  
  
Once.  
  
Twice.  
  
And then she threw herself out of Mordred's arms, pale as a sheet, horror on her face. " _No_."  
  
Sophia and Mordred shared worried glances.  
  
Freya was trembling, sweating, terrified.  
  
"You remember what you Saw." Sophia realized, eyes wide. "Freya! You  _remember_! What did you See?"  
  
Freya's eyes went to Sophia. "Nothing."  
  
Sophia blinked.  
  
She knew her twin.  
  
She knew she was lying.  
  
"Why are you-?" Sophia tried once more.  
  
" _I said I don't remember anything!_ " Freya snapped, eyes flashing furiously. "Now stop bothering me! I'm sleepy!"  
  
And with that she burrowed under the sheets of the bed, back to them, and wrapped herself tightly, body tense.  
  
Sophia and Mordred shared a look, terrified.  
  
Sweet, docile Freya had looked fierce.  
  
Whatever she'd Seen...it'd been  _terrible_.


	16. Chapter Sixteen

"How can there be nothing in any of these tomes?" Morgana snapped, sweeping them off of the table. "These are the most obscure volumes from my father's extensive library! How is it that there is nothing on the curse placed on the witches or how to undo it?"  
  
"Morgana." Gwen sighed, seeing the mess of books on the floor.  
  
Her girlfriend sighed and collapsed on the seat. "I'm just so tired Gwen."  
  
"We all are." Arthur murmured from where he was leaning against the sink, dancing a coin over his knuckles in a bored fashion.  
  
"Has anyone noticed how odd Freya's been acting this last week?" Merlin asked, gazing out the window at the children, who were in the small backyard.  
  
Mordred and Sophia were playing cards with steely intent.  
  
Freya sat on a plastic chair, gazing out ahead of her unseeingly.  
  
His usually lively and sweet daughter had been very silent this week, and she was looking paler, her appetite dwindling.  
  
He was worried, but whenever he tried to talk to her she would just hug him and tell him that she didn't want things to change.  
  
He was scared that things with Arthur were going too fast for the kids to digest.  
  
Merlin sighed.  
  
Despite his feelings for Arthur, if it was hurting his daughters he'd have to end it.  
  
And yet Freya acted the same with Arthur as she always did.  
  
If not more clingy.  
  
So it made Merlin wonder if the problem wasn't Arthur but something else.  
  
Which just confused him further.  
  
What was bothering his daughter so much?  
  
"She's got enough to worry about, we're not exactly safe." Morgana murmured, leaning her forehead against the table with a loud thud. "If things continue this way then we're so screwed."  
  
"Don't say that." Gwen scolded softly, reaching over and rubbing her girlfriend's head.  
  
"It's the truth." Morgana mumbled into the table top.  
  
Gripping the coin in his fingers, Arthur flipped it in the air and caught it in his palm, gazing at the side that'd fallen up. "Right."  
  
Merlin raised an eyebrow as Arthur pushed away from the sink and came towards him, pressing a kiss to his lips.  
  
Arthur gave him a small smile before walking passed him to the kitchen door and slipping out to the backyard.  
  
Sophia nor Mordred looked up, both refusing to be distracted.  
  
Freya jumped when Arthur placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, eyes wide, before her gaze lowered, sad, and she listened to him as Arthur bent to his knees before her, talking.  
  
Merlin couldn't hear what Arthur was saying, but when the blonde out his hand on her knee, Freya put her hand on his and squeezed tightly.  
  
"I hate to say this, but he's actually becoming a good dad." Morgana, who'd looked up when the door had closed behind Arthur, watched him and Freya. "And Freya's always been most attached to him."  
  
"Talking about dads." Gwen mumbled, looking up at Merlin. "I spoke to ours last night."  
  
Merlin turned to his adoptive sister in surprise.  
  
He used to keep in constant contact with Hunith and Gaius, but lately, with all that had been going on, he hadn't had the head. "Is he and mum okay?"  
  
"Ya." Gwen nodded, pulling a curl behind her ear. "But they are planning on visiting. Soon."  
  
"What?" Merlin sat down heavily.  
  
"They want to meet Arthur and Mordred." Gwen smiled awkwardly. "They've heard so much about them from Morgana and I, and even John has met Mordred...you know Mum. She was terrified that you'd never let yourself be happy after Morgause, but she knows that things with Arthur are different."  
  
"How could she possibly know?" Merlin blinked.  
  
"For having no magic in her veins, that woman has an uncanny way of always knowing things Merlin, you know this." Morgana raised an eyebrow, unable to believe he said that. "Remember what you told me she told you about Morgause?"  
  
Merlin winced, remembering.  
  
"And remember what she told me about Morgana?" Gwen agreed. "It's like she has the ability to sense compatibility."  
  
"What did Hunith say about me?" Morgana asked, curious.  
  
Gwen blushed. "Nothing you need to know."  
  
"But baby, this involves your mum's opinion of me." Morgana was grinning evilly because she knew very well that the people she called 'mum' and 'da' absolutely adored her and treated her as if she were their child as well.  
  
Merlin was about to slip out of the kitchen and see how the conversation between Freya and Arthur was going, when suddenly he felt a shock of something unexplainable rush through him.  
  
Immediately he turned around and his narrowed gaze went to the front of the house.  
  
It couldn't be.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
"I don't like this, Uther." Nimueh turned towards her boss, frowning. "He's gone silent. Last week we were under constant attacks, some appearing so random, and then nothing? He's up to something. Or he got something he wanted and he's figuring out how to use it. Or something."  
  
"Yes, I have thought of these possibilities." Uther mumbled, sitting upon his throne-like chair, eyes narrowed and fingers steepled over his chest. "Sigan has never done anything randomly, so those attacks served him somehow. We just need to figure out how."  
  
"With the Seers blind we're handicapped." Nimueh paced the floor. "We have all of our men searching and trying to discover-Lance hasn't even been able to go back to the Emrys Residence because he's our best man and we need him on this case right now. And that leaves your son and the others vulnerable."  
  
"Do you truly believe that I have not thought about that?" Uther raised an eyebrow.  
  
"No, I know you have. But what I don't understand is what they're doing still at the Emrys Residence." Nimueh turned and slammed her palms down on his desk. "I don't care how good the magical barriers are there. It isn't safe."  
  
"And what do you propose then?" Uther sighed.  
  
"We bring them here, locate them in the headquarters with the other high risk clients." Nimueh responded. "They'll be safest here where our strongest magical wards and such can protect them."  
  
"My son will not hear of it." Uther frowned.  
  
"He will if you make him see that it's the only way to keep Merlin and his family safe." Nimueh pressed. "He knows something's going to happen, we all do, and he's going to do what needs to be done to keep Merlin and the children safe."  
  
Uther looked up at her, silent, before reaching for his phone. "Hopefully he sees this reasonably."  
  
Nimueh just returned to pacing the floor.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
"Princess, you've got to open up." Arthur sighed, not liking to see her so closed off like this.  
  
Her eyes, as they rested on him, were sad and scared.  
  
He'd been worrying about Freya as well this last week, but he'd wanted to give her some space. But a week had passed and she wasn't bouncing back, and while Arthur loved Sophia greatly, he had a special love for the soft-spoken, heart-filled Freya. Something about Freya made him want to be a knight in shining armor to protect her from the monsters, while Sophia made him worry about the monsters because the redhead would most probably try to enslave the creatures to do her bidding.  
  
"Daddy," it made his heart sing every time Freya or Sophia called him that ever since he and Merlin had let them know officially that they were together. "I don't want things to change."  
  
"Change is a part of life, hon."  
  
Freya shook her head stubbornly. "It's bad."  
  
"It doesn't have to be." Arthur tried to explain.  
  
"It is! It's horrible! I don't want it to happen!" Freya's eyes filled with tears. "Does it happen because I See it? Is it my fault?"  
  
Arthur's eyes widened. "Frey? Are you Seeing things you remember?"  
  
But before the girl could answer, the sound of multiple things breaking inside the house shattered the silence.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
A couple of minutes earlier, Merlin had left Gwen and Morgana in the kitchen, following his feeling, a cold, sick sensation swirling in his stomach as he made his way throughout his house. He felt lightheaded and dizzy and...and...  
  
Standing before his front door, Merlin's heart raced and his stomach grew queasy and he stared at the wood, breathing erratic.  
  
It couldn't be.  
  
It couldn't.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Merlin reached for the handle and unlocked the door, pulling it open.  
  
His eyes widened in horror at what he saw upon his doorstep.  
  
"Hello Mer."  
  
His throat went dry. "Morgause."  
  
And then his magic reacted and everything exploded.


	17. Chapter Seventeen

"That...was quite the reaction." Morgause announced, a small smile on her face as she peered inside the house at the disaster inside. Her gaze then went up to Merlin. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"  
  
"What are you doing here, Morgause?" Merlin frowned, finally able to get passed the shock and confusion, eyes narrowing as he slammed his hand in the doorway, blocking her entrance.  
  
Morgause's gaze fell to his arm and then rose to him. "Merlin. We need to talk. Preferably inside. Over some tea." She raised an eyebrow. "I don't remember you being this bad of a host."  
  
"Merlin?" Morgana's and Gwen's voices halted, as the females rushed towards him and saw the blonde in the doorway.  
  
Morgana gazed at her sister in shock. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Gwen placed her hand on her girlfriend's arm.  
  
"I'm in danger, Merlin." Morgause didn't look away from him. "Please, I need to talk to you."  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Merlin removed his hand and allowed her to enter, closing the door behind her and locking it. "Go to my study."  
  
"Where are the girls?" Morgause asked.  
  
"I said go to my study!" Merlin snarled, eyes flashing golden in his fury.  
  
Morgause looked at him in silence before nodding. "Of course." She turned and sauntered away.  
  
The door opened.  
  
Closed.  
  
"How dare she?" Morgana whispered, shocked.  
  
"She says she's in danger." Gwen mumbled. "She probably wants Merlin to protect her."  
  
"She has no right to ask that of him!" Morgana exclaimed, turning to Merlin. "Don't you let her guilt trip you into anything Merlin! Don't you dare let her use you and those children!"  
  
Merlin sighed and cupped the pale woman's face, pressing a kiss to her forehead.  
  
Morgause might be Morgana's sister, but it was obvious where her loyalties lay, and Merlin loved her even more for that.  
  
He turned and walked back to the study, hesitating only a second outside before entering, finding Morgause staring at the pictures in his study.  
  
The pictures of him.  
  
Of the girls.  
  
Of Ma and Da.  
  
Of Morgana and Gwen.  
  
Of Mordred.  
  
Of Arthur.  
  
Morgause turned towards Merlin, face a mixture of fury and disbelief. In her hand she held the picture frame that held a picture of Arthur giving Merlin a noogie, Mordred rolling his eyes, and the girls high-fiving each other with obvious glee.  
  
Merlin knew that Morgause was waiting for some sort of an explanation, but he didn't offer her any.  
  
Instead, he folded his arms over his chest and leaned his hip against the bookshelf, just eyeing his ex wife.  
  
She was still beautiful, always would be, and seemed just as unable to keep her true emotions off of her face.  
  
That was one of the things he could appreciate about her.  
  
"How did you meet him?" Morgause finally asked, grip on the frame so tight it was trembling.  
  
"His son was nearly kidnapped, I saved him." Merlin answered, wondering if he could read any motherly concern on her face. "Arthur was out of town and so I kept Mordred here with us...and then I met Arthur and realized who he was."  
  
"You stopped a kidnapping." She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "You haven't changed a bit, Mer." Her eyes opened and she glanced at the picture once more. "I would never have been able to make friends with the person you left me for."  
  
"I wouldn't have left you." Merlin leaned his head against the wall.  
  
"I know." Morgause nodded, finally putting the frame down and facing him completely. "You wouldn't have made half of the terrible choices and mistakes I did."  
  
They continued looking at each other in silence.  
  
Merlin had always wondered how he'd react if he saw Morgause again.  
  
She'd once been the love of his life.  
  
There was a time in his life in which he couldn't envision living without her.  
  
And yet so much had changed since then.  
  
Now, as he gazed upon the woman who had once been his very reason for living...he felt nothing.  
  
No hate.  
  
No hurt.  
  
No longing.  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Who are you running from?" Merlin asked, uncomfortable in the silence.  
  
"His name is Sigan." Morgause mumbled, pulling a strand of blonde hair out of her face and behind her ear.  
  
Merlin's eyes widened. "Cornelius Sigan?"  
  
She looked at him, shocked. "You've heard of him?"  
  
"Why is Sigan after you?" Merlin's eyes narrowed as he stalked to her and grabbed her shoulders, giving her a sharp shake. "And you better tell me the truth!"  
  
Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him in shock at his rough treatment. "I'm...pregnant...with his child."  
  
Merlin just looked down at her in shock, hands falling from her shoulders. "You sure know how to pick them, Morgause."  
  
"You have to help me." She kept her eyes on his, clasping his shirt. "Merlin, I'm scared."  
  
Suddenly the door flew open and their gazes went to the doorway.  
  
Arthur stood there, eyes narrowed, face furious, as he strode into the room. "Get the hell away from him."  
  
Morgause's face darkened as she narrowed her eyes at him.  
  
"Arthur." She said his name as if it were filth. "I didn't realize you were visiting."  
  
"I'm not." Arthur glared, just as hatefully. "I live here."  
  
Surprise filtered through her face before it was replaced with scorn. "I didn't realize you were so bad off in the world that you had to resort to charity from my husband."  
  
"Ex husband." Arthur snapped.  
  
"Just like he is." Merlin reminded, removing her hands from him and taking a couple of steps back, away from her. "And his business is doing better than ever."  
  
Confusion filled her eyes for a moment as they narrowed, looking between them. "I see."  
  
"No, I doubt you do." Arthur snarled. "But let me remedy that for you."  
  
Merlin didn't have a second to even guess what Arthur was doing.  
  
In seconds Arthur had cupped the back of Merlin's head and brought him in towards him in a possessive and claiming kiss, an arm going around Merlin's waist and pulling him closer as he took the kiss deeper.  
  
Merlin gave a little squeak of surprise, not having expected this, but as Arthur nibbled on his lips, the warlock realized what Arthur was doing.  
  
He was showing Morgause that Merlin was his and that she was insane if she thought that she could just walk back into their lives and take him away.  
  
It was stupid.  
  
It was primitive.  
  
And it was kinda heart-warming.  
  
Merlin had wondered, worried, what Arthur would do if Morgause came back into their lives.  
  
He'd wondered if Arthur was still in love with their ex wife deep down.  
  
He'd wondered if he'd want to be with her again.  
  
He'd wondered what it would do to the family they'd built together.  
  
And now, as Arthur's tongue invaded and conquered his mouth, his hand pressing Merlin possessively into him, Merlin realized that he wasn't the only one out of the two who'd worried about this scenario ever happening.  
  
Arthur had worried too.  
  
And he wasn't only letting Morgause know that Merlin was his and he wasn't letting him go...but he was letting Merlin know that too.  
  
Merlin smiled into the kiss and pulled away, shaking his head at the blonde before pressing a soft peck to those lips.  
  
Arthur's eyes were on him, intense, communicating so many things.  
  
"Don't worry." Merlin whispered against those sinfully full lips, nipping them softly before pressing another peck and finally pulling away to face their ex wife. "I think you really do see now."  
  
"And if you don't, let me clue you in." Morgana announced from the doorway, where she and Gwen had appeared after Arthur had strode into the room. "Merlin and Arthur are together, they love each other, and the kids love each other. They're a family."  
  
"They're...very happy." Gwen agreed in her soft way.  
  
Morgause was just looking at the two men who'd once been important in her life.  
  
She looked shocked.  
  
Hurt.  
  
And pissed off.  
  
"So what?" She finally asked. "You two decided to console each other?" The blonde shook her head. "Merlin! He took me away from you! What does that say about his character?"  
  
"He didn't know you were married." Merlin's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Is that what he told you?" She sneered.  
  
"Don't you dare try to make him doubt me!" Arthur snarled.  
  
Merlin held Arthur back when he made a menacing move towards her. "She's pregnant."  
  
The world went silent.  
  
"With Sigan's baby." Merlin sighed.  
  
Arthur scoffed, shaking his head. "You sure know how to pick them."  
  
Morgause glared at him.  
  
"I can't believe this." Morgana threw her hands in the air and stalked out of the room.  
  
Gwen hurried behind her.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
"She's in there." Freya sat down between Mordred and Sophia in the back yard.  
  
Sophia frowned, turning to her. "Who?"  
  
Mordred's eyes narrowed. "Does this have anything to do with what you've been Seeing?"  
  
Freya's head lowered in shame as she nodded. "Yes."  
  
Sophia and Mordred shared a look, before the redhead cleared her throat. "What is it, Frey? Who's in the house?"  
  
Freya looked up at them, tears filling in her eyes. "Our mother."


	18. Chapter Eighteen

| 

[](http://www.livejournal.com/allpics.bml?user=shadowglove88)  
  
---  
  
Title: Ties That Bind  
Fandom: Merlin (bbc)  
Pairing: Arthur/Merlin  
Rating: T  
Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin.  
Summary: When Merlin saves a young boy from would-be-kidnappers, he unknowingly starts the course of events that lead him to meet the boy's father, Arthur, who has played a painful part in changing Merlin's familiy's life in the past.  
  
  
To say that the next few hours had been uncomfortable was an understatement.  
  
Everyone had been tense.  
  
Especially the children.  
  
Merlin didn't know what to do.  
  
Mordred was ignoring Morgause just as much as she was ignoring him.  
  
Sophia had gone the extra mile by completely ignoring any attempt Morgause made to speak to her or get her attention. The redhead wouldn't react to any of her attempts, not even to summon a glare.  
  
But Freya...  
  
...Freya was the one who surprised Merlin.  
  
Whenever Morgause tried to 'connect' with her daughter, talk to her, or even looked in her direction, Freya gave her a glare that threatened to wither her right then and there. There was such anger and hated in his daughter's eyes that it scared Merlin. He'd never seen such utter loathing in anyone's eyes before.  
  
Especially not in his dear, sweet, loving Frey's eyes.  
  
Morgause didn't seem shocked or saddened.  
  
If anything she looked intrigued.  
  
After dinner everyone congregated around the living room, Sophia and Mordred playing video games, while Freya climbed onto Arthur's lap and curled up into him, glaring at Morgause as the adults spoke.  
  
Arthur smiled down tenderly at Freya, arms wrapped around her as she slowly fell asleep against him, her small fist tightly clasping a bit of his shirt, as if scared he'd leave.  
  
Merlin couldn't keep the heart-warmed smile off of his face as he watched Freya sleeping in Arthur's arms and Arthur running his fingers through her hair soothingly.  
  
Arthur loved Mordred and Sophia, but he'd always had an extremely close bond with Freya.  
  
It was just so amazing to believe that that prat who'd stormed into Merlin's home that night was the same man holding his child so tenderly, and smiling up at Merlin as if the world was perfect.  
  
Despite all the shit they found themselves in right now.  
  
Uther had called earlier and told them that he believed they should all move to some secret base for their protection, and then Arthur had told him about Morgause and...well...Uther might have fainted because his line had clicked off.  
  
Merlin rested his arm around the back of the loveseat he was sharing with Arthur and Freya, his fingers softly treading their way through that golden silk Arthur called hair.  
  
Arthur hummed in contentment, eyelashes brushing his cheeks as his eyes closed and he leaned harder into the touch.  
  
Arthur was a glutton when it came to being touched by Merlin.  
  
"Well, aren't you two the picture of marital bliss." Morgause sneered around her cup of tea as she eyed them. "The honeymoon period doesn't last long though, as I'm sure you both know."  
  
"Lay off, Morgause." Morgana frowned.  
  
Gwen just sipped her own tea nervously, watching the players in this game.  
  
It was obvious that she wanted to give Mogause a piece of her mind, but was keeping back, her sweet nature winning the battle.  
  
"You sure that it wasn't just you who soured the deal?" Arthur asked snidely.  
  
Morgause's eyes narrowed. "You didn't seem to think so when you were begging me to stay."  
  
Arthur's eyes flashed with fury but his voice was even. "I was going through a masochistic phase."  
  
Merlin sighed as he looked between Arthur and his ex-wife.  
  
"Look, this isn't constructive, okay?" Merlin stepped in, trying to defuse this situation before it worse. "What we really need to be doing is concentrating on what to do to make sure that Sigan doesn't get to Morgause or the baby...or us."  
  
"Maybe your father can hide her in the base somewhere." Morgana turned to Arthur.  
  
"I'm sure they have dungeons somewhere." Arthur mumbled.  
  
The glare Morgause could have killed Arthur if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't have any magical abilities.  
  
Merlin tugged on Arthur's ear playfully.  
  
Arthur sent Merlin a devilish grin, not at all repentant.  
  
"How did you get in a relationship with Sigan in the first place?" Morgana wanted to know. "And do you not know of a little something called birth control?"  
  
"I met him after I left Arthur. I was staying for a month in Malta and he was there and swept me off my feet. I didn't find out about his magic until later, and by then it was too late." Morgause replied with a frown on her face. "And for your information, I was taking birth control. I think he used magic to make sure I got pregnant."  
  
Morgana and Gwen exchanged worried looks at that.  
  
So did Arthur and Merlin.  
  
"I'm going to double the magical protection over the house." Merlin sighed, standing and giving Morgana, his partner in the spell, a look. "Everyone should just have an early night of it."  
  
"Right." Morgana stood, nodding. "Tomorrow we can approach everything with fresh minds."  
  
Gwen reached up and squeezed Morgana's hand.  
  
The dark haired beauty looked down at her girlfriend and smiled before going off with Merlin to strengthen the spell protecting the house.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
Arthur watched Merlin and Morgana disappear into the study, to strengthen the spell they had weaved together before to protect the house and those inside-not trusting the other spells and such that Uther's organization had placed on the building. And Arthur had to admit that he felt better knowing that Merlin's magic was protecting them, because Merlin was incredibly protective, especially of the children, and Arthur knew that his boyfriend wouldn't let anything happen to them.  
  
Gwen stood, coming to Arthur. "I'll put the kids to bed."  
  
Arthur hesitated, not really wanting to let Frey go, but relinquishing the sleeping girl to Gwen with a sheepish smile.  
  
Gwen grinned at him, understanding, before shifting the weight of the light girl and going to where Sophia and Mordred were, ushering them to their bedrooms.  
  
Arthur and Merlin would go kiss them goodnight in a bit.  
  
Arthur's gaze went to the closed door to the study.  
  
"Doesn't it make you feel left out?" Morgause asked curiously, eyebrow raised. "Merlin and Morgana are so much better suited for each other. They are both beautiful, have similar colorings, and people wouldn't treat them weird if they became a family." The blonde took a sip of her tea. "And, of course, they share something you can never share with him. Magic."  
  
"Is that why you left him? Because you were jealous of his relationship with your sister? Resentful that she had the magic while you had nothing?" Arthur asked, eyebrow raised. "Or were you just scared that he'd figure out she was the better sister?"  
  
Morgause's eyes flashed with anger as she slammed down her teacup. "You don't know what you're talking about."  
  
"Didn't you realize she was gay?" Arthur sneered, leaning back against his seat. "And most of all, that cheating is just not a part of Merlin's way of thinking? It would never cross his mind to leave you for your sister. He loves her like a sister."  
  
"Listen to me, Arthur Pendragon. I know Merlin a lot better than you ever will." Morgause hissed. "Getting pregnant for Merlin was not a mistake. Marrying him was not a mistake. You and Mordred? You were the mistake."  
  
Arthur slammed his fists down on the coffee table. "I don't give a shit what you say about me, but you leave Mordred out of this!"  
  
"I plan on." Morgause sneered. "You and Mordred, you don't belong here."  
  
"Considering you left Merlin and the girls, I think you don't have any right to say who belongs here or not." Arthur replied darkly.  
  
"I was young, capricious." Morgause replied. "Merlin is very forgiving."  
  
Arthur felt the growl reverberate in his chest. "You don't really think you can get back with him."  
  
"Oh, I know I can." Morgause grinned with a self-assurance that left him wary. "I'm his first love, I'm the mother of his children, sister of his best friend. I made a mistake, and I plan on correcting that. Whether they like it or not, I belong here, with them. You and Mordred don't. You're nothing but Merlin's rebound."  
  
Arthur shook his head. "That's just plain stupid of you, Morgause. What Merlin and I have is new, but I'm not going to doubt what we have just because you're trying to screw with my head."  
  
"The girls love you, it's obvious." Morgause announced coolly. "But after they've gotten over their hurt for me leaving, when they realize I don't plan on going this time, they're going to open up to me. You might be the father of their half brother, but I'm their mother." The blonde pulled a curl behind her ear. "And there comes a time in every little girl's life where she needs her mommy." She chuckled. "And now that he knows I'm pregnant for that asshole Sigan, Merlin's protectiveness is going to win out. He's not going to throw me out into the elements, because I'm Morgana's sister and the girls' mother."  
  
Arthur hated it because he knew that she was right in the last part about Merlin's kind heart.  
  
"And it might be a little rough winning everyone over again, but believe me, it's very possible." Morgause grinned. "Just watch and see, Arthur. You and Mordred don't belong here. You never did. And deep down inside you know it. That's why you've held onto him and this family so tightly."  
  
"Screw you." Arthur hissed.  
  
"You already did." Morgause sneered.  
  
The study's door opened, and Merlin and Morgana returned, smiling at each other, a little giddy, as they always were when they used more magic than usual.  
  
Arthur called it getting 'stoned', because they always seemed slightly high.  
  
Merlin smiled at Arthur, the expression genuine and open, as he reached him. The lanky man reached behind to cup the back of Arthur's head, fingers sliding through his hair, before bringing him up to meet his kiss.  
  
It was sloppy and uncoordinated and everything Arthur needed right then.  
  
The blonde reached up and cupped Merlin's cheek, slowing down the kiss and deepening it.  
  
Merlin groaned and reached out with his other hand, grabbing the front of Arthur's shirt and pulling him up so that he was standing.  
  
Arthur chuckled into the kiss, pulling away to smirk at a glaring Morgause, loving how high and horny Merlin got after doing a spell of some strength. He then saluted a darkly amused Morgana, and pulled Merlin towards their bedroom.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
Daddy and Papa were completely tangled in each other as they snored.  
  
Freya stood by the doorway and looked in on them, smiling softly before sighing and looking behind her as she left, following the darkness out to the living room, to the sliding doors, to where she could see her mother outside, whispering into her cellular. The child watched her, feeling contempt in every pore of her body, and she stayed there glaring at her until the woman finished her conversation and turned to sneak back into the house, stopping when she realized she was being watched.  
  
The blonde hesitated before forming a smile with her lips and entering the house once more. "Hey honey. Bad dreams?"  
  
"Let's get something straight." Freya glared, finally able to say to the woman what she'd been dying to all day. "Your bullshit doesn't work with me. I know why you're really here."  
  
Morgause's smile slipped slightly, but she fought for it. "I don't know what you're saying. And really, you shouldn't be using that language. Arthur must have taught that word to you. I'll have to talk to Merlin about this."  
  
"I know you're not here because you're scared and running from Sigan. I know you were never in a relationship with Sigan. And I  _know_  you're not pregnant." Freya replied, eyes still steely. "So, as I said, stop the bullshit with me."  
  
And Morgause's mask fell, expression utterly shocked. "How can you know this? Sigan said that he blinded all the Seers!"  
  
"Obviously he didn't blind every Seer." Freya folded her arms over her chest. "Or maybe he's not as strong as he thinks he is."  
  
Morgause just continued to look at her in shock, before she schooled her expression neutral. "If you know all this, you know why I'm really here."  
  
"Yes, I do."  
  
"Then why haven't you told your father?" Morgause's eyes narrowed.  
  
"Because I've Seen every other scenario and this is the only one in which Daddy doesn't die." Freya whispered, shaking slightly.  
  
Morgause frowned darkly. "No one wants Merlin to die."  
  
"I didn't say Papa. I said Daddy." Freya snapped. "And if I tell anyone, if I try to stop you in any way, he dies. In every other possible scenario he dies." Her eyes narrowed. "So while I'd like nothing more than see your arse thrown onto the street, I can't do anything."  
  
Morgause looked down at her, smirking. "Then I guess this is our first mother-daughter secret."  
  
"Go screw yourself you bitch." Freya whispered, turning and storming away.  
  
Morgause's chuckles followed her all the way back to her bedroom.


	19. Chapter Nineteen

When the magical barriers protecting the house went down, Merlin felt it.  
  
His eyes opened and he shot up in bed.  
  
And yet he didn't have time to even say a word before a shadow sprung towards him from the darkness and something cold and metallic snapped shut around his neck. Immediately the magic within the metal attached itself to him, infiltrating his body through his pores, and attacked his magic, neutralizing it. Immense pain exploded inside him as his magic tried to fight back in vain.  
  
Merlin howled in pain as he doubled over, clawing at his collar, and yet unable to pry it from his neck.  
  
"Merlin?" Arthur sat up, groggy.  
  
Something swung in the darkness and connected hard with Arthur's face, knocking him out cold.  
  
Merlin wanted to roar in anger, but he was only able to whimper in agony as his magic continued to rage inside of him, trapped within his body.  
  
"Shhhh." Morgause appeared from the shadows as the sounds of doors and windows breaking, and the sounds of screaming and thudding boots echoing throughout the halls.  
  
Merlin snarled, trying to launch himself at her, but he ended up falling out of bed in agony, curling on the ground.  
  
"Don't fight it Merlin." She kneeled over him, reaching out and softly pulling some of his hair out of his face and behind his ear. "With the Rada'Han your power is useless, and trying to summon it is only going to hurt you more."  
  
The girls screamed.  
  
Merlin fought harder, the pain so bad he was seeing explosions of light behind his eyes.  
  
"Tsk tsk tsk." Standing, Morgause went to where Arthur was knocked out cold, sneering down at him. "I bet she didn't See this." And with that she pulled out a knife from the folds of her skirt and plunged it down into his heart.  
  
Merlin screamed, his magic going wild.  
  
And that was when everything went black.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
Nimueh had always wondered what it would take to make that asshole Uther breakdown, but she'd never wanted this.  
  
Never.  
  
From what they could tell, someone had destroyed the object the protection spell had been anchored in, thus bringing down the magical walls and allowed the (already waiting) minions of Sigan to siege the house and the sleeping people within. The place had been ransacked, destroyed, and everyone had been taken.  
  
No.  
  
She was wrong.  
  
Nimueh's gaze rested on Arthur's dead body on the bed, a dagger buried to the hilt in his heart.  
  
Uther had rushed out after stumbling onto the scene, and Nimueh was reluctant to admit that she was worried about him.  
  
No matter how hard-ass and bastardy her boss was, he loved his son dearly.  
  
She was worried how he was going to channel his energy now.  
  
Especially since his grandchildren were still missing.  
  
Presumed alive.  
  
For now.  
  
The witch went to Arthur's side and looked down onto his lifeless face.  
  
She then closed her eyes and looked away, hugging herself as their coroner arrived to take the body to the lab in their base.  
  
"When Uther is finished with her, Morgause is going to wish she was dead."  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
Cornelius Sigan watched the faces of his prisoners, all who wore Rada'Hans and all looked like they wanted to kill him. The only one of the group who didn't have a Rada'Han was the pretty dark girl, and that was only because she didn't have a speck of magic in her. But she had her uses, such as being a bargaining tool to make Merlin and the Le Fey chit behave, which was why she was still alive.  
  
Morgause joined him by his side, clasping her hands behind her back. "I told you I could do it."  
  
"Yes." He agreed. "Where magic couldn't, a pitiful story worked charms."  
  
"Merlin has a good heart." Morgause nodded, standing with her feet slightly apart. "It's always been one of his greatest weaknesses."  
  
"I'm going to kill you both slowly." Merlin promised darkly despite being chained and unable to use his magic.  
  
The dark hair girl was being held by her lover, the sister of Morgause, who looked like she didn't know who out Morgause and Sigan she wanted to tear apart first.  
  
But it wasn't them that made him wary.  
  
It was the children.  
  
They should be crying, terrified, clinging to the adults seeking for protection.  
  
And yet while they were crying, there wasn't a hint of fear in those children's eyes.  
  
Mordred, most possibly one the strongest and powerful sorcerers in the making, was completely silent, his lips pulled back in a frightening snarl, and his fists were closed tightly.  
  
His Rada'Han also seemed to vibrate a little...which was a first.  
  
Sophia, the redheaded twin, was eyeing Sigan intently. Her eyes were sharp and intelligent and fierce as she seized him up, almost as if reading into his soul.  
  
It made him feel naked.  
  
He didn't like it.  
  
But, to be truthful, it was Freya, the dark haired twin, who made him most uncomfortable.  
  
The child stood between her twin and little brother, eyeing Sigan, a small smirk tilting her lips.  
  
It was as if she knew something he didn't and gloried in it.  
  
And, considering that Morgause had informed him that unlike all the other Seers in the world he'd been unable to blind her, well, it spoke about the extent of her Seer abilities...and she very well might know something he didn't.  
  
And that put him in a bad, edgy mood.  
  
"What do you get out this?" Morgana glared at her sister. "What could you possibly get out of betraying your own flesh and blood?"  
  
"Power, wealth...the usual." Morgause replied with a smirk. "Your power, to be precise."  
  
"What?" Morgana gasped.  
  
"I should have been the one born with the powers, not you!" Morgause snarled, finally losing her temper as she took a menacing step towards her sister. "Look at my children! They will be the three most powerful witches this world has ever known! My children! With my blood in their veins! That tells you that I was the one who should have had the power you waste." She sneered. "But once they are removed from you and transferred to me, then everything will be righted."  
  
"You're insane." Morgana hissed. "It will never work!"  
  
"You better pray it does, because if it doesn't, then your little girlfriend is going to be the one I take out my...disappointment...on." Morgause chuckled darkly.  
  
"I will never let you touch Gwen!" Morgana snarled, struggling against the one holding her chains.  
  
"If the spell is botched, you'll be dead." Morgause informed her. "Hell, you'll probably die even if it is successful."  
  
"No." Gwen whimpered.  
  
"I won't let you hurt either of them." Merlin promised her darkly.  
  
Morgause turned towards her ex. "And what exactly are you going to do, Mer? You have no magic you can use, and I will."  
  
"Don't underestimate me Morgause." Merlin whispered, voice a vicious hiss. "You've seen what I can do."  
  
Sigan was surprised to see a flash of fear flash through Morgause's eyes.  
  
"I'm going to kill you for what you did to Arthur." He promised to her. "And if you touch Morgana, Gwen, or the kids, I'll make you beg for death before I do so."  
  
Right now, for the first time, Sigan could see a glimpse of that dark wizard that Morgause had told him of. For the first time he could imagine this gangly, awkward looking guy as the demon of her stories.  
  
It was so impressive.  
  
Even if, right now, he was the only one whose power Sigan couldn't sense.  
  
Cornelius could feel the others' powers being restrained, and yet Merlin felt a lot like Gwen did.  
  
Empty.  
  
Sigan wondered if the power had burrowed deep inside him or turned off for now, to protect itself somehow.  
  
He was intrigued.  
  
Maybe, before he transferred all of Merlin's power into his own body, he'd cut him open and see just how it ticked.  
  
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Only when he knew that there was no one in the morgue, did Uther slip in.  
  
He felt cold and empty inside, completely torn apart.  
  
It'd been terrible when he'd lost his wife, and that had been a natural death.  
  
But to know that his son had been taken from him so brutally before he could truly make things right between them after their terrible past relationship. Uther had been so sure that with Merlin and the girls in Arthur and Mordred's life he'd be able to find grace in the newcomer's eyes...and through them slowly ingratiate himself more to his son.  
  
His son...  
  
The son he'd done so much to protect.  
  
The son whose birthright, whose magic he'd had taken from him to keep this very thing from happening.  
  
And yet Sigan hadn't been the one to do it.  
  
No.  
  
Some powerless little bitch had.  
  
Tear-filled eyes going to his son, Uther hated the knife still sticking in his body.  
  
He yanked the knife out and it slid from his trembling fingers, clattering loudly on the ground.  
  
Uther gazed down upon his son's face.  
  
His tears falling down onto the boy's skin.  
  
"I'm so sorry." Uther whispered hoarsely before draping himself over him, crying. "I should have taken better care of you!"  
  
Suddenly blinding light erupted from deep inside Arthur, throwing Uther off and against the wall.  
  
Disoriented, head hurting, Uther opened his eyes as the light died to nothing.  
  
And there, standing in front of the slab, was Arthur.  
  
Uther's eyes widened in shock. "Arthur?"  
  
"What happened?" Arthur asked, confused, looking around him, before gazing down at his hand. "And why am I glowing?"  
  
"You're alive." Uther whispered, unable to believe it. "And you have magic."  
  
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Gasping as she came out out of the vision, Freya looked up, disoriented. Her head was nestled in Auntie Gwen's lap, and everyone was watching her, worried, but were being held back by their captors.  
  
"You were right." Sigan whispered, surprised. "She can still See despite the fact that I blinded all Seers."  
  
Morgause nodded.  
  
"Are you alright baby?" Papa called, worried, struggling against his restraints.  
  
"Yes papa." Freya nodded, voice gravelly before she smiled and turned her gaze on Sigan.  
  
"What did you See?" Sigan snarled at her.  
  
She needed to stall.  
  
She needed to give the others time.  
  
And she needed to try and weaken the bond between these two.  
  
But how?  
  
She wasn't cunning like Sophia.  
  
"Tell me!" Sigan stormed towards her threateningly.  
  
"Yeah, tell him." Sophia's voice surprised Sigan and caused everyone to turn towards her. "Tell him what you've been Seeing. Tell him about how he dies."  
  
Freya wondered what her twin was doing.  
  
She hadn't told her about what she'd Seen.  
  
And even if she had, she wouldn't want to tell Sigan how he died so he could try and stop it!  
  
"You lie!" Sigan snarled at Sophia.  
  
The girl smirked up at him. "When you transfer Aunt Morgana's power to Morgause-because you are the only one strong enough to do it-that's going to leave you very weak, isn't it?"  
  
His eyes narrowed.  
  
"And she's going to be very powerful." Sophia smirked. "You stupid bastard."  
  
And that was when Freya understood.  
  
Whereas Freya could See things, Sophia could sense their weaknesses, and she'd sensed Sigan's after her fierce analysis of him...and she was using it against him.  
  
"You little bitch!" Morgause snapped, going towards her and slapping her hard, causing her face to swing.  
  
"Get off of her!" Papa snarled.  
  
Morgause turned to Sigan. "My lord, I'd never-!"  
  
Sigan's eyes were narrowed on her.  
  
Sophia watched them with a dark smirk, a small trail of blood making its way down the side of her mouth.  
  
Freya took in a deep breath.  
  
The seeds were planted.  
  
Now they had to await the harvest.


	20. Chapter Twenty

"I don't understand." Arthur paced the room, the magic in his body unfamiliar and admittedly creepy. It was like he had living energy right under his skin, pulsating constantly, and he was sure that if it pulsated any harder he'd start to visibly see his skin ripple or something. "Why did I come back to life? And why do I all of the sudden have magic?"  
  
"I don't understand either." Uther muttered, sitting on his throne-like chair in his office, the meeting underway. "You didn't have a speck of magic left in you, Bayard made sure of that."  
  
"Uther's right." Nimueh nodded, sitting down on the edge of his desk. "Arthur hasn't had any magic in him at all for years. Ever since the prophecy."  
  
"Pardon my interruption." Lancelot cleared his throat, stepping forwards. "But hasn't anyone considered the possibility that this isn't Mister Pendragon's magic but Merlin's?"  
  
The group turned to him.  
  
"What do you mean, Knight Du Lac?" Uther narrowed his eyes. "Why would Merlin's magic sudden be in Arthur? That makes no sense."  
  
"Actually, sir, it really kinda does." Will interrupted, stepping forth. "Remember those witches we rescued from Sigan's clutches in Kent? They were wearing what they said he called a Raha'Han, a magical sort of collar that kept the witches from being able to use their magic, making them powerless."  
  
"I remember this. We're still unable to figure out how he was able to create such a device." Nimueh stood up, frowning. "It would make sense for him to use these devices on Merlin and the others...but especially Merlin."  
  
"Except he didn't count on the fact that Merlin and Mister Pendragon are basically one being." Lancelot nodded, clearing his throat. "Their life Essence is tied together, so as long as Merlin is alive, Mister Pendragon would be as well. And when the magic was nullified inside Merlin, it transferred itself to the other extension of Merlin...Mister Pendragon."  
  
There was silence in the room as they digested this information.  
  
Arthur suddenly looked up. "Can I use this connection to track Merlin?"  
  
"Excuse me?" Uther blinked.  
  
"We're supposed to be one being in a sense, we share life essence and his magic was able to travel and find me." Arthur took a step closer. "Can't I use the same channel to find him and that way we can not only find them-but Sigan's lair as well?"  
  
Nimueh's eyes widened as she turned towards Uther. "It's worth a try."  
  
Uther nodded.  
  
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They'd been separated, and Merlin hated not having his magic, being vulnerable, unable to protect his children and family. He'd been thrown into white room, no windows, no furniture. All in all it was a very unoriginal holding room. Merlin paced back and forth, struggled with the Rada'Han around his neck, and plotted bloody vengeance.  
  
Normally Merlin was a soft, sweet, happy guy who didn't condone violence, but there was also a dark, dangerous side to him that he usually kept well guarded.  
  
These people had killed his Arthur and captured their children and family...ensuring that the part of Merlin he usually fought...he let loose willingly.  
  
If he'd had his magic right now...  
  
...but he didn't.  
  
He tried to summon his power, feel it, anything, but he felt empty.  
  
It unnerved him.  
  
He'd never felt this way before, never.  
  
Was the Rada'Han truly this powerful?  
  
The magically locked door opened, and Cornelius Sigan walked in, the door closing behind him. "I'm disappointed." He clasped his hands behind his back. "The way your wife went on and on about your powers I would have expected...more."  
  
"Ex wife." Merlin sneered, restraining the desire to throw himself at the warlock because he knew that without his power he wouldn't stand a chance.  
  
"If you survive the transferring of your powers...I promised you to her." Sigan announced, a small curve of his lips betraying his amusement with this whole situation. "It seems that she has seen the error of her ways in parting with you-but she prefers to be the one with the power in the relationship."  
  
"You two are insane if you think that I'd ever-!" Merlin snarled, clenching his fists so tightly his fingernails bit into his skin. "I loved Arthur! And the first opportunity I get I'm going to kill Morgause for what she did!"  
  
"She's the mother of your children." Sigan reminded in a sing-song sort of way. "What sort of message would you be sending to her children?"  
  
Merlin sneered, but didn't answer.  
  
"Ah, can't say anything to that, can you?" Sigan asked, victory in his tone as he went towards him. "You know, Merlin. You're not at all impressive. Morgause painted this all mighty sorcerer, but you're pathetic. You couldn't stop one powerless woman from taking your power from you, kidnapping your family, and you couldn't stop her from driving a dagger through that disgusting Pendragon filth." Sigan sneered as he drew closer. "Everything went perfectly to plan, and the only thing I regret is not being able to deliver the fatal blow as the original prophecy foretold." He leaned into Merlin's face. "It would have filled me with such ecstasy to watch him breath his last breath."  
  
Merlin snapped.  
  
That was the only explanation he had for his reaction as he snarled and grabbed Sigan by his pompous neck, slamming him against the stupid white wall.  
  
The blow was unexpected and the warlock was visibly dazed and disoriented.  
  
Merlin took advantage of this and roared as he continued to slam Sigan's head back against the wall over and over again as hard as he could, the white wall denting and beginning to be coated with thick red.  
  
Suddenly the door opened and Morgause and others he didn't recognize raced towards him, tearing him off of Sigan, who'd crumbled to the ground.  
  
Morgause knelt by Sigan's still side and checked him over. "He's still alive."  
  
The guards that were restraining Merlin mustn't have had magic, because they were physically restraining him as he struggled like a madman against them.  
  
"How did he manage to do this?" One of the other women whispered to Morgause as other guards rushed in to take Sigan away. "He doesn't have his magic while master Sigan-!"  
  
"Sigan got overconfident, thought Merlin wasn't dangerous just because his magic is restrained." Morgause smirked, standing, eyeing her ex-husband. "This is a lesson I hope everyone has learnt."  
  
Merlin couldn't believe that this truly was the woman he'd married-whom he'd had children with and had wanted to live the rest of his life with.  
  
Once upon a very long time ago Merlin hadn't been able to think that anyone could be as beautiful in his eyes as Morgause, and yet not as he looked at her all he felt was disgust and deep hatred.  
  
"You didn't have to kill him." Merlin snarled.  
  
"I know." Morgause replied, smile tilting her glossed lips. "But I wanted to."  
  
"What did he ever do to you?" Merlin hissed. "You married him! You must have loved him once! What could he have possibly done to make you hate him so much?"  
  
Eyes going to the guards, as if making sure that they had a good hold on him, Morgause's gaze finally returned to Merlin as she sauntered slowly towards him like a panther. The blonde ran her finger done his chest. "He chose that brat over me." She smirked. "He knew I didn't want a child, and yet when he found out he was happy. I told him it was me or the baby and he chose Mordred. I will never forgive him for that."  
  
Merlin shook his head, unable to believe this. "I would have chosen the girls over you too."  
  
Her face fell darkly, her lips a sneer, before she reached out and clawed him, leaving bloody marks on his cheek.  
  
Bringing those blood-covered nails to her mouth, Morgause licked the blood before smirking and turning, sauntering out the door. "Take him to the room for the ritual."  
  
"But Master Sigan-." Someone started.  
  
"Just do it!" She snarled, storming out of the room.  
  
Merlin struggled against his captors, but it was in vain.  
  
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Arthur decided he hated magic.  
  
He, Merlin, and their family had been doing wonderfully before this magic war had ruined everything.  
  
And to be truthful, Arthur didn't like the feel of magic in his body.  
  
It was like electricity constantly underneath his skin, rippling and alive.  
  
He felt possessed.  
  
He detested the feeling, actually.  
  
The only reason he embraced this was because it was a connection to his Merlin, and with the instructions Nimueh had given him, he'd been able to establish a weak, yet accurate connection with his lover. He wasn't very good at this, and it took a lot of concentration to hold, and yet he'd been able to pinpoint of map (or, well, his magic had) the exact position where Merlin was being captive, and thanks to that all of the Knights, Wizards, and Witches were on their way to war.  
  
His father had tried to make him stay behind, but Arthur had refused to.  
  
He had magic (even if he really didn't like it or know how to use it) and it was his family being held by Sigan.  
  
There was no way he was going to be left behind.  
  
In the end his father had relented, and Arthur had joined the others.  
  
They were going to be there soon, and he was itching for some violence.  
  
If something had happened to the children, Merlin, or Morgana and Gwen, he was going to slaughter everyone...even if he had to use his bare hands because he wasn't sure how to the magic rippling under his skin.  
  
One thing was for certain.  
  
Cornelius Sigan wasn't going to get out of this alive.  
  
Neither was Morgause.  
  
Arthur was going to kill them himself.  
  
No one touched Arthur's family.  
  
No one.  
  
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Merlin struggled against the binds keeping him to the sacrificial slab, but they were too strong for him. He knew he wouldn't be able to escape, but he refused to go out without fighting to the last moment. He nearly missed when they wheeled in the medical bed, but the creaking of the wheel caught his attention, and he realized it was Sigan's body they were bringing in.  
  
"This will kill me." One of the Wizards was saying to Morgause as the followed. "I do not have the power to do this as Sigan did."  
  
"You will revive him with more power. Do you truly believe he'll leave you dead?" Morgause sneered. "He will raise you up with great power and wealth as your reward."  
  
The Wizard's eyebrow raised. "You truly believe so?"  
  
"I know so." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Had I already had my sister's powers transferred to me I would have done this myself, but as I cannot you must do so, oh great one."  
  
Visibly inflated by that praise, the Wizard nodded. "Come, we must do the transferring immediately, his spirit is weak." He shook his head, gaze going to Merlin. "I still cannot believe he's wounded Sigan like this with his powers bound!"  
  
Morgause sneered. "Believe it."  
  
"You won't get away with this." Merlin struggled. "Even with my powers in his body you won't win this!"  
  
"Oh, Merlin, that might have been the plan, but that was before you bashed his head in." Morgause reached out and played with his hair. "Now, it's not only your power Sigan will need, but your body as well."  
  
She smirked, leaning over and pressing a kiss to his forehead.  
  
Merlin's eyes widened in horror. "No."  
  
Morgause stood and turned to the Wizard. "Do it."  
  
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Gasping, Freya came out of the vision. " _Oh no_."


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

As the last word was chanted, the power between the two bodies fused, Sigan's conscious forcing itself into Merlin's body. The sorcerer who'd performed the spell collapsed dead, and Morgause walked over him, smirking. This was killing two birds with one stone...this sorcerer was going to be disposed of anyway. The blonde made her way to where Merlin's body was retrained on the sacrificial slab, undoing his bindings, smiling when his eyes flew open.  
  
"My Lord." She gave a little bow.  
  
Sigan, in Merlin's body, gazed down at his hands and body before slipping off of the slab and onto his feet, cracking his neck. "What happened?"  
  
Morgause motioned towards where his old body was, the head bashed in.  
  
Merlin's eyes widened. "He did that to me?"  
  
Morgause nodded.  
  
"Without magic?" Sigan's slight accent was odd in Merlin's voice.  
  
The blonde nodded once more.  
  
Those blue eyes shifted towards her. "How disconcerting."  
  
Morgause didn't look quite sympathetic, a small smirk tilting her lips. "I did tell you not to underestimate Merlin just because his magic was in check."  
  
"That you did." Sigan, in Merlin's body, made a face, looking himself over once more. "This Vessel is...uncomfortable."  
  
"How so?" Morgause frowned, confused.  
  
"I'm not sure." Merlin's head tilted. "I have this abominable cramp in the base of my stomach."  
  
"It's probably Merlin's nerves from when he was still in charge of his body." Morgause rationalized.  
  
"Perhaps..." Merlin's eyes narrowed.  
  
But if it was so...why did he feel so wary?  
  
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Arthur groaned as he held his stomach and crouched over. The magic inside of his was churning wildly, as if frantic and working desperately, which worried him through the pain. He felt sick, nearly nauseous and yet not, a cramp eating at the base of his stomach. It took him a couple of minutes for the young man to realize it, but this pain was familiar. The last time he'd felt something remotely similar had been when the kids had placed that lust spell on him and Merlin...and Merlin had said that this sense of unease was the magic filtering out the spell of someone weaker than him.  
  
Arthur's eyes widened.  
  
"Are you alright?" Lancelot placed a hand on his shoulder. "We're almost there."  
  
Arthur looked up at him. "They've done something to Merlin, something magical."  
  
"How do you know this?" Nimueh asked, turning in the back of the front seat, eyes narrowed.  
  
"Our magic is trying to filter it out, I'm feeling it. It happened once before when the kids tried to put a spell on us...I know the feeling." Arthur winced as the cramp worsened. "Whatever they've done to Merlin, it's bad. The magic is going insane trying to filter out the spell."  
  
"At least this means that whoever cast the spell was weaker than Merlin." Lancelot announced. "If this is so, Merlin's magic will be able to filter out whatever was done from his system, especially thanks to the bond between you two being open. It might take a while, but he can."  
  
Arthur was still worried as he clutched his stomach.  
  
What exactly had they done to his wizard?  
  
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"This isn't good." Morgana paced the room she, her girlfriend, and nieces and nephew were being held in. "If they've transferred Sigan's consciousness into Merlin's body, then he would have taken over Merlin's magic as well. Not only is he holding Mer hostage, but he's got both their powers and that makes him almost as powerful as a god!"  
  
Gwen gasped, bringing a hand to her mouth.  
  
"He doesn't have papa's powers." Freya whispered, looking around her before scooting closer. "When papa lost control of his magic, it went through their connection to daddy. Daddy's using it to come find us, the others are on their way, but he's not going to fight papa and Sigan knows this. At least, that's what I've Seen."  
  
"Are you saying Arthur's not dead?" Gwen whispered, eyes wide in hope.  
  
Mordred took in a deep, relieved breath.  
  
Sophia smiled brightly.  
  
Morgana's eyes widened."It makes sense! Merlin and Arthur are one being and if Merlin's still alive Arthur has to be as well!"  
  
Mordred didn't seem to be paying attention to them anymore, hands on his Rada'Han. "We need to buy dad time...and to do that we need to get these things off."  
  
"It's impossible." Morgana grumbled, sitting down. "I've tried everything I can think of and I can't use my magic at all. There's no way we're going to get them off."  
  
"That's not exactly true." Sophia finally spoke, tapping her lip with a finger. "I've been studying the one Mordred's been wearing, and I'll let you know, for the badassery of the equipment, there are flaws in the design."  
  
"Language, Soph." Gwen sighed.  
  
"Sorry Auntie Gwen." The redhead sent the pretty dark skinned woman a sheepish smile before going serious once more. "Also, the assumption that we can't use magic is erroneous. We can use magic to some degree, but it hurts us so much to do it that we don't. And we can't do magic to others but who says that we can't do magic to ourselves or something?" Sophia grabbed Mordred's Rada'Han and gave it a sharp jerk.  
  
"Hey!" He yelled, annoyed.  
  
His Rada'Han vibrated.  
  
"My point exactly." Sophia flicked the metal. "Mordred's collar has been vibrating nearly constantly since he woke up. Especially whenever he's feeling something intense, like annoyance right now." She turned to Mordred. "It'll hurt, but if you could concentrate enough and send a volt of your power right here, you should cause it to overload and spring open." She poked the exact place she was referring to. "Once you do that, then you can use your magic freely and free aunt Morgana, and you all can free the rest of us."  
  
Morgana was looking at her in shock.  
  
Gwen blinked. "But once you're free we're still stuck in this room."  
  
"I can sense weakness." Sophia felt the need to remind her aunt. "I know how to open this door." She folded her arms over her chest. "What I don't know is how we're going to buy time for the others to arrive, and for papa to filter out that Sigan guy from his system."  
  
Freya smiled. "Leave that to me."  
  
Morgana turned to her niece. "What do you know that you're not telling us, Princess?"  
  
The dark haired child looked up at her aunt. "I have a plan that just might buy everyone some time and help the others be able to break in."  
  
"Well then," Gwen leaned forwards. "Share with the rest of the class."  
  
Freya did just that.  
  
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When the alarms went off, Morgause froze where she was in the throne room with Sigan. She looked up at the flashing lights, the siren loud and annoying, proclaiming that somehow the prisoners had managed to escape their cell. It was unbelievable and for a moment she wondered if something else might have tripped the magical alarm system set around the holding room. The people inside were wearing Rada'Hans, they shouldn't be able to use their magic, and only with magic could they leave that room.  
  
And yet Morgause knew deep inside that they'd managed to somehow get around that.  
  
She turned to Sigan. "I will check it personally, My Lord."  
  
He nodded, waving her away.  
  
Turning, taking in a deep breath, Morgause stalked towards the direction of the holding cell, and stopped when she finally came upon the scene at hand.  
  
Not only were they all free from their Rada'Hans, but Mordred was at the forefront, hands tense at his sides, palms out, energy and magic visibly growing in said palms.  
  
They were surrounded by guards and sorcerers.  
  
Freya's eyes were clouded over with the Sight, yelling quickly to Mordred, telling him who was going to attack and with what before they did.  
  
Sophia then would yell a weak point to Mordred.  
  
And Mordred, with a scream, sent magic attacks that would not only send the group around them back a couple of paces, but would effectively down and disarm the ones Freya had signaled out.  
  
Resentment filled Morgause.  
  
How was it fair that she herself had been denied powers and yet her brats had such awe-inspiring ones?  
  
And were so strong?  
  
Those three worked rapidly and in sync, the group around them failing terribly.  
  
This was enough.  
  
Morgause narrowed her eyes. "Play time's over kids."  
  
The children exchanged looks and then Mordred screamed louder, sending everyone, even Morgause, flying against the closest walls. And then, while everyone was disoriented by the blow, the children and Morgana's girlfriend raced away in the opposite direction.  
  
"After them!" Morgause yelled, stumbling to her feet.  
  
The group stumbled after them, the brats and woman having turned the corner and disappeared from sight.  
  
In the hallway, only Morgana and Mogause stood, facing each other, eyes narrowed.  
  
"So this is the big plan? Have us face off?" Morgause sneered. "Night and day? Good and evil? Are we following some storybook story line?"  
  
Morgana shook her head. "No. This is just me showing you that I'm better than you. Even without using my magic."  
  
Morgause flinched at that barb. "Without your magic you're nothing. I'll crush you under the sole of my boots!"  
  
"Blah. Blah. Blah." Morgana taunted.  
  
Knowing that she was being goaded, Morgause couldn't control herself.  
  
All the anger and frustration and resentment she'd harbored all her life surfaced, and with a yell she charged.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
Racing, trying to get as much space between them and those chasing them, the small group ran behind Freya. She'd Seen this, knew where they were going, and she could only hope that they could make it in time.  
  
"Someone's going to come out of that door!" Freya pointed.  
  
Mordred turned and as soon as the door opened he yelled, his magic throwing the person back into the room, and since the person had still been holding onto the doorknob, the door slammed shut as well.  
  
"Hole in one!" Sophia crowed.  
  
"In here!" Freya pushed open and door and waited until everyone had entered before slamming it shut. "Soph..."  
  
The girl nodded, raising her hands up as she whispered words in old Gaelic, light shooting out of her hands and engulfing the door with red light. "One of the only spells I can actually do on my own." Sweat was already beginning to form at her brow though, as she kept her hands on the door. "Hurry up. I won't be able to keep this for much longer."  
  
Mordred went to stand by her side, placing his hands against the door and adding his own energy and magic to the spell, going pale as the spell visibly drained him like his sister.  
  
Gwen looked at them in worry.  
  
"Come on." Freya grabbed her hand. "We have to go now or we'll get there too late!"  
  
Sending Sophia and Mordred another look, Gwen reluctantly turned and ran with Freya up the winding stairway in the corner of the room.  
  
Beneath them they could hear the door beginning to break, as the children's magic weakened.  
  
Gwen almost stopped and hurried back down.  
  
"Come on!" Freya urged her own. "Sigan wants them. They're not going to be hurt!"  
  
The dark skinned beauty, encouraged by this, still sent a sad look down before hurrying up the steps until they entered a tower, Freya lowering the hatch after them, locking it.  
  
Freya looked around her and gulped.  
  
Gwen gasped, in awe at the view the plate glass walls provided.  
  
"There, that's it." Freya pointed to china vase suspended high in the air by magic.  
  
Gwen rushed towards the vase and reached up on her tiptoes, fingers finally curling around the base and yanking it out of the stream of magic. "What goes around comes around." And with that, she smashed the vase down on the ground, destroying it.  
  
Suddenly the lights went out, replaced by emergency red lights, blinking furiously, a mechanical voice announcing that the compound's security had been compromised.  
  
Suddenly the hatch Freya had closed began to be banged violently from the underside.  
  
The girl gulped. "They're going to be pissed."  
  
Gwen drew the child to her. "It's their fault they anchored their protective magic for the base in a flimsy vase. And left it so unguarded."  
  
"Pride." Freya whispered, clinging to her aunt. "They knew that no one could enter the compound without their permission, and those in here who weren't on their side are in Rada'Hans, prisoners. They never thought someone might be able to overcome the Rada'Han and make it this far."  
  
Suddenly the hatch was blown away, pieces of wood flying everywhere.  
  
The females screamed, and Gwen turned, shielding Freya's body with her own.  
  
The last thing they heard, before they were surrounded and captured, was another alarm filling the night.  
  
The compound had just been breeched.  
  
The calvary had finally arrived.


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

They'd been trying to get into the compound when the protective barriers had fallen on their own. It'd seemed suspicious, very much like a trap, but Arthur had been the first to surge inside, feeling that connection that led him towards his lover. The others had had no other choice but follow him in, charging, coming upon Sigan's men inside. The fact that the home team seemed chaotic and disorganized, an alarm ringing deafeningly above, proved that they hadn't lowered the protective spells on purpose. That in itself meant that there were people working for them on the inside, and that they had an advantage.  
  
Thankfully, the men that rushed Arthur seemed to be powerless minions, and he didn't have to rely on his whacked and uncontrollable magic to protect himself. That wasn't to say that it didn't act on its own accord more than once when it felt he was in particular disadvantage during certain circumstances, sending his attackers flying back. He knew that, logically, he should stay close to the Knights and such, work their way together to where his connection was leading him, but Arthur's desire to see his family and lover was stronger than common sense.  
  
Leaving the others behind, he pushed on rapidly, as fast as his feet could take him. He dodged attacks and sidestepped blows, slipping around those hurtling themselves at him, using all the many rugby moves he'd learnt while in school to get by them.  
  
"Daddy!"  
  
Hearing that voice he skidded to a stop, heart racing in his chest as he turned to see Freya struggling against both the Rada'Han around her neck, and the handcuffs trapping her to a metal bar. "Frey."  
  
"Oh thank the gods you're alright." Gwen, who was also handcuffed, breathed in relief.  
  
Sophia and Mordred weren't handcuffed, but they were passed out on the floor next to them, wearing those damned collars.  
  
Arthur raced to Freya and hugged her. "Oh baby, I was so worried about you all." He pressed a kiss to her forehead before hugging her close once more, glancing over her shoulder at Gwen and the kids. "Are you all alright? What happened to them?"  
  
"They used up their energy helping us get to the security room and break the anchor to the protection spells." Gwen replied.  
  
"We might have all this power in us, and have the potential to be the most powerful witches and wizards in our time..." Freya mumbled into his shoulder. "But we're still kids who don't have real control over our powers as yet and it drains us to use them. Soph and Mor used up more than they're used to, and that's why they fainted. But they're going to be fine."  
  
Lancelot and Will had arrived sometime during her little speech, and were working on removing the Rada'Hans and handcuffs.  
  
"Where's Merlin and Morgana?" Arthur pulled away so that Lancelot could free Freya.  
  
"Morgana is fighting Morgause." Gwen replied, picking up the fainted Sophia the same time Will picked up a fainted Mordred.  
  
"And Merlin?" Arthur tried again, eyes narrowing when he notice Gwen flinching.  
  
Freya grabbed his hand. "Sigan transferred his consciousness into papa's body."  
  
"What?" Arthur hissed.  
  
"He's possessing him." Gwen clarified.  
  
"It's what you must have felt." Lancelot turned to Arthur.  
  
The blonde's heart was beating so loudly in terror he could hardly hear anything else. "What does this mean? Is Merlin...what...? I don't...!"  
  
Several lights exploded, the room shaking, walls beginning to crumble around them.  
  
His muscles spasmed, skin rippling and filing with goosebumps, an unholy air erupting from seemingly the floor beneath his feet, causing his clothes and hair to whip all around him. Eyes darkened and the room seemed to correspond, growing darker, more ominous. The sounds of fighting and war around them appeared to be muffled by a deeper, thicker, louder silence that permeated the air.  
  
The magic was feeding off of his emotions, becoming even more schizo than before.  
  
It was only the feeling of Freya's hand in his that brought Arthur back like a kick in the stomach, and he somehow pulled a reign on the godlike powers his body now hosted.  
  
Freya looked up at him, worried.  
  
He smiled down at her, trying to reassure her, before turning to Will and Lancelot. "Get them out of here safely." His gaze went to his fainted son, wishing Mordred was awake so he could be fully sure that his boy was fine. But Arthur had to trust that Mordred was fine otherwise the magic in him right now would react to his fears and anxiety and only the gods knew what it would do if he let himself overfill with the terror of a scared father.  
  
So Arthur tried his best to control himself, no matter how much he didn't want to.  
  
The blonde knew that he himself had been born with power, that some of this was actually his old magic, but he was so relieved that it'd been taken from him. He didn't know how Merlin survived living with this from childhood. With power this great you had to be so careful, hold yourself in tight control, or it had the ability to take over you and make you go insane. Arthur had new respect for his lover, and couldn't wait until this was over so he could transfer the magic back to him.  
  
"Take care of yourself, Arthur." Gwen came to him and hugged him as tightly as she could while holding the fainted Sophia. "And bring them back."  
  
He hugged Merlin's sister tightly. "I will."  
  
She pulled away, rearranging Sophia's weight in her arms.  
  
"What happened to the children?" Uther's voice was booming and ominous as he arrived with Nimueh at his side.  
  
Uther Pendragon mightn't have known the girls long, but he'd grown as incredibly fond of them as he had always been of Mordred, and the look in his eyes as he surveyed the fainted Mordred and Sophia was murderous.  
  
"They overused their powers..." Nimueh sensed. "They're still not used to the way the power drains their bodies. They'll be fine."  
  
Uther pulled Freya into his arms and hugged her. "Thank the gods."  
  
Freya hugged him tightly before they both pulled away.  
  
Lancelot turned to Arthur. "We'll get them to safety."  
  
"Thank you." Arthur smiled thankfully at the other man, watching him, Will, and Gwen hurry away with the children. He turned to hurry after the link that connected him with his lover, when suddenly the cramp in the base of his blared into actual pain, forcing him to his knees in the middle of the hall, hand resting against the wall to try and balance him as he crunched over, the white of the corridor going uncomfortably bright.  
  
"Arthur?" Uther's voice was distorted. "Has someone cursed him?"  
  
Nimueh rested her hand over Arthur's body before shaking her head. "It's the connection he has with Merlin."  
  
Looking up, Arthur clenched his teeth against the pain, actually able to see the magical ties that bound him to Merlin. They were like millions of fine spiderwebs which were woven together and suspended in the air. One end was emerging from out of his chest, his heart to be exact, and the other must end in Merlin's. And every time the stabs of pain shook his body, he could anticipate it because he could see the dark bundles of energy traveling through their ties towards him, and the moment it entered him the pain would hit. And then a bundle of multicolored light would emerge from his chest and travel away..back to Merlin.  
  
"Merlin." Pushing up to his feet, stumbling slightly, Arthur rushed forwards, following the ties.  
  
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"You know what I'll never be able to understand?" Morgana sneered as they circled each other, bloody and bruised from having taken out their angers and resentments on each other, and not finished yet.  
  
"Anything that doesn't have to do with you?" Morgause spat out some blood, lips curled in disgust.  
  
"No, you are the one who thinks too much of herself." Morgana replied coldly. "What I'll never understand is why you'd want this so badly."  
  
"Being a little bitch, are we?" The blonde growled. "Rubbing salt in wounds?"  
  
"No, I mean it." Morgana replied, body tense, ready for an attack. "Ever since I was a kid I could See the most terrible things-things no child should ever have to see! You saw how it nearly drove me insane! Why the hell would you have wanted that for yourself? I always wanted to be like you! Able to sleep full nights without jolting awake screaming because you Saw someone you'll never meet murder his wife or drown her child!"  
  
"Oh boohoo, so your powers had one downside! Get over yourself!" Morgause's eyes flashed with intense hatred. "I was pushed to the side, constantly overlooked because of you! If I had a nightmare it was brushed aside because it couldn't possibly be as bad as anything you Saw. If I accomplished something no one noticed because they were always preoccupied with you and everything you did! Nothing I ever did could compete with you and your Sight! Or you and your ability with curses! You have always been mother and father's favorite because you had magic, had power-that you couldn't even appreciate!"  
  
"Appreciate? I hated it!" Morgana exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "I wanted to be like you, normal!"  
  
"Oh, I know you wanted to be me, you wanted to take away everything I ever had and you still do!" Morgause accused viciously.  
  
"You're so messed up it isn't even funny." Morgana shook her head.  
  
"You took away my parents, my husband, and my children!" Morgause screamed. "You couldn't just be content with being the apple of our parents' eyes, but the moment I found a man so powerful that they finally started to look at me with something like pride, then you had to get your arse in the middle of it too! You had to insinuate yourself into our lives and then get your claws in his sister so that not even this little thing I could have for myself!"  
  
"I fell in love with Gwen! I don't understand how I have to explain to you that that has nothing to do with you!" Morgana screamed back.  
  
"Bullshit! You always had to feel like you were upstaging me!" Morgause clenched her fists tightly. "You were always there monopolizing everyone's attention! As always! Even Merlin! You and he were always talking about magic and things that I'd never understand, flaunting as always that you'd be able to share something with him that I'd never be able to! I couldn't stand it! Hated you so fucking much for even taking him away from me! I thought having the girls would shift the attention back to me, but no, they display some potential for magic and while at first mom and dad are so proud that their granddaughters could have magic-again it's all about how you could help train them because you are the powered one in the family! You were even going to take away my daughters and make them love you more!"  
  
"You are so full of shit that it's unbearable." Morgana shook her head in disgust. "I have never tried taking anything from you, if anythings I've tried to be close to you! Merlin and I have never been anything other than friends, and my relationship has only been about my mutual love with her. I have never tried taking away your daughters-and even though mom and dad might have said that-you know just as well as I and them that Merlin never had any desire to have the girls trained. He wanted them to live as normal human beings, like you had."  
  
Morgause flinched.  
  
"Merlin adored you, mom and dad loved you, those girls would have worshipped you-but you were too insecure with that chip on your shoulder to even see what was so obvious to everyone!" The lights around her flickered with Morgana's boiling rage. "I didn't take any of those things from you! You let your petty resentment keep us from ever having the sisterly relationship we could have had-and kept you from having any other sort of worth while relationship either! Everything you accuse me of taking away from you-you've abandoned all on your very own so don't blame your faults on me because you can't bring yourself to admit that you've been a selfish little bitch your whole life!"  
  
Morgause screamed and charged Morgana, murder in her eyes.  
  
Morgana moved her left foot in front, bent her knees and lowered her chin. In one motion she brought her body lower, pivoted to her right and brought her elbow back. She then pushed her legs up, re-pivoted, and brought her fist up, hitting Morgause straight in the chin.  
  
The blonde stood for but a second, before collapsing to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"KO." Morgause sneered, wiping at the trickle of blood down her temple from a previous injury. "And without one ounce of magic." She shook her head at her unconscious sister, suddenly filled with sadness. "It's not that great, you know."  
  
Sensing movement, Morgana got into a defensive position again, but then her eyes went wide when she recognized the blonde heading towards her. "Arthur!"  
  
She raced to him and hugged him. "You stupid idiot! How could you have let Morgause kill you?"  
  
Arthur hugged her back, although he flinched at that name and turned to look down at his ex. "Is she dead?"  
  
"No. Just unconscious."  
  
"Pity." Arthur's lip curled.  
  
Nimueh and Uther arrived form where they'd been racing after Uther, Nimueh going to Morgause and magically binding her. "She won't be going anywhere."  
  
"Arthur, you can't go to Merlin." Morgana brought his attention back on her. "Remember the prophecy. If you fight Sigan with magic he's going to kill you! Especially so if he's in Merlin's body! You know you're not going to hurt Merlin! And Sigan knows it too!"  
  
"She's right, Arthur." Uther rested his hand on his son's shoulder. "You should take Morgana to safety. We'll handle Sigan."  
  
"No." Arthur glared at him, shaking his head. "That's not just Sigan. That's Merlin. And I am not going to let you hurt him by trying to fight Sigan."  
  
"There's no other way." Nimueh announced.  
  
"Yes, there is." Arthur replied evenly, eyes following something only he could see. "And I'm going to use it."  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
That cramp in Sigan's stomach had flared out into outright pain, which kept him from fully concentrating as he made his way down the chaotic hallways. All around him were fights and deaths, as his minions and followers battled the Knights of Order-or of Peace and Justice-or of Lollipops and Candycanes-whatever the hell it was that they were calling themselves now. All he knew was that Uther Pendragon, his age old foe, had finally managed to not only locate, but invade his once hidden and impenetrable compound. And that left Sigan somewhat cranky. And the pain growing in his abdomen wasn't making his mood any better.  
  
Also, this host of his was so disappointing he could cry.  
  
Morgause had painted this picture of godlike power...and they had sensed great power coming from the Emrys home...and yet now that Sigan was in Merlin he couldn't sense any sort of increase to his own powers.  
  
It was...adding to an already frustrating day.  
  
The fact that he'd also nearly died at the hands of the powerless guy...who'd nearly done him in by bashing his head into a wall...really wasn't helping Sigan with his mood or even with his self-confidence now that he thought about it.  
  
Sigan reached out and rested his hand against the symbol on the wall in front of him. He frowned, looking at Merlin's fingers. They were nothing like his fingers.  
  
He didn't like them.  
  
He didn't like anything about this body.  
  
He hadn't wanted this boy's body!  
  
He'd wanted his powers!  
  
And Sigan couldn't find any damned powers in this body!  
  
All he felt was pain.  
  
Discomfort.  
  
The world seemed to shake, to twirl dangerously, lights flickering.  
  
He brought a hand to his head, fighting the disorientation.  
  
"Sigan!"  
  
Turning around, Sigan's eyes widened as they rested upon the last person he would have ever suspected to come face to face with. "You!"  
  
Arthur Pendragon stood behind him in the hallway, the light flickering viciously all around him, some bursting, causing sparks to fly above.  
  
Sigan brought a hand to his chest and grimaced at the jolt in his body at the sight of the blonde before him. It was like electricity was flaring inside of him, alive. There seemed to be a million pins and needles vibrating on the inside of him, prickling mercilessly.  
  
Behind Arthur, Uther and his bitch Nimueh battled with the remainders of Sigan's guards.  
  
"It's over, Sigan." Arthur stepped forwards slowly. "The Compound has fallen, your men are being defeated, and you're all alone. It's over."  
  
"How exactly is it that you're alive?" Sigan hissed, straightening himself, face showing his discomfort as he raised a hand to halt the younger Pendragon's approach. "Morgause stabbed you through the heart." It took the wizard two times to get it to happen, but Merlin's hand finally glowed menacingly with his power. "So how exactly is it that you're here, walking, talking, and ruining the decor of my previously pristine establishment?"  
  
"Mer?" Arthur ignored his little rant, looking at his host. "Love, are you okay?"  
  
Something fluttered inside of Sigan.  
  
It sickened him.  
  
He brought his hand to his heart, sneering at the way it raced.  
  
"Everything's going to be alright." Arthur was still obviously talking to Merlin. "The kids are safe, and so are Morgana and Gwen. Morgana went to safety and to take care of them...and Morgause is out of commission."  
  
Sigan's eyes twitched.  
  
Great.  
  
The blonde psycho bitch wasn't going to be running up to kill her ex (again!) any time soon then.  
  
"You're going to be free soon." Arthur promised, moving slowly, carefully towards him.  
  
"And how exactly do you expect to accomplish this?" Sigan sneered, darkly amused. "If I remember right you don't have an ounce of magic, and not only do I have Merlin's, but I have my own as well." He raised his chin, fist glowing brighter as his ribs began to hurt. "And even if I did leave this body, Merlin isn't here anymore. His spirit's dead, passed onto the other realm. He's probably getting his ghost on with JFK right about now."  
  
He hissed.  
  
It felt as if he'd gotten a kick to his arse from the inside.  
  
"Merlin's still there." Arthur replied, coming close enough for Sigan to feel it, the magic.  
  
The wizard's eyes widened in horror, unable to understand it. "How do you have magic?" He didn't wait for Arthur to attack, thrusting his palm out towards Arthur, and yet his magic wouldn't move, as if anchored into his body. "What the devils?" He hissed, looking at his palm before thrusting it out towards Arthur once more, and once more, and once more. And yet nothing happened. His magic wasn't reacting to his commands.  
  
Somehow, Merlin must be keeping it locked inside of his body.  
  
Sigan's eye twitched once more.  
  
This really was a sucky night!  
  
Suddenly Arthur was upon him, using his superior physical power to push him against the wall, pinning him there.  
  
Sigan snarled at him. "Don't you read your prophecies boy? When we fight, I kill you."  
  
"Whoever talked about fighting, Sigan?" Arthur wanted to know, before thrusting his palm flat over Sigan's heart.  
  
The wizard raised an eyebrow, not exactly understanding what was happening.  
  
Was he being propositioned?  
  
If so...handsome though he may be...Pendragon really wasn't his type.  
  
But before he could let the younger man know this, and then maybe reach for his dagger and stab the blonde or something, Cornelius Sigan felt it.  
  
There was heat, and electricity, and magic seeming to emerge from Arthur Pendragon's hand into Sigan's host's heart, and it was filling his body.  
  
It was magic unlike anything he'd ever felt before, more powerful than any he'd ever coveted, and now he had it within him...filling his body with its brightness. His whole body trembled viciously from it, his hands falling to his sides lifelessly. "What...are...you doing?"  
  
Arthur leaned into him and whispered into his ear. "Returning something back to Merlin."  
  
And that was the last thing Sigan heard before suddenly his consciousness exploded in bright light and dissolved into nothingness.  
  
If only for a second, he'd finally gotten a taste of true power.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
The first thing Merlin saw, after the blinding bright golden light finally faded enough for him to see once more, was Arthur's face. The younger Pendragon had one arm round his body, holding him tight and secure, the other hand cupping his face. Those blue eyes stared into his own, searchingly at first, and then his lips curled in a smile.  
  
"You're back." Arthur whispered, relief obvious in his voice.  
  
Merlin didn't say anything, he just placed his hand over Arthur's heart.  
  
Arthur lowered his gaze to that hand and then smiled tenderly at Merlin, resting his own hand over his heart as well.  
  
The two just stood there, hands on each other's hearts, staring into each other's eyes.  
  
"Just bloody kiss him already!" Nimueh exclaimed with a roll of her eyes from where she was standing, arms folded over her chest, head leaning against Uther's shoulder.  
  
The two lovers broke out into chuckles before Arthur reached up and cupped Merlin's cheek once more, bringing him into a deep, relieved, loving kiss.


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

Mr. and Mrs. Le Fey were having an animated discussion with Uther Pendragon, Gaius and Hunith on the different merits of raising children, and how that transitioned into spoiling one's grandchildren. They were all seated at the outdoor table, candles flickering on the tabletop, everyone with a glass of wine in their hands as they spoke back and forth. Mr. and Mrs. Le Fey were in agreement with Uther that you had to be firm with your children while making it hard for your children to be firm with the grandchildren...while Gaius and Hunith were more of the mind that you should be close and friends of both children and grandchildren. From where she leaned with her hip against the table, Nimueh took a sip of her chardonnay and replied that while she didn't have kids of her own, if she had, she'd have been of a similar mind to Gauis and Hunith. Uther, of course, took issue with her not siding with him, and that led into another debate in which Nimueh pointed out that Uther and Arthur weren't exactly the Partridge Family, and Uther called her cheeky, fastidious, and other sorts of insults that she merely grinned at.  
  
Morgana and Gwen were standing by one of the tiki torches, talking to Vivian and her fiance, Gwaine. Both happy couples were sharing the details of their upcoming events. Vivian and Gwaine were getting married after a whirlwind romance in which the known ladies man had finally wooed the reluctant and wary blonde. Morgana and Gwen were beginning the paperwork to adopt a little boy named Elyan whom they'd been visiting at a local orphanage.  
  
John was standing by the refreshments, having an apparently deep debate with Mordred, whom was giving him his opinion on John's newest book. The boy obviously wasn't impressed with something, and was letting the older man know it categorically. John was taking the youths criticism apparently well, nodding at certain parts and asking questions about others.  
  
Edwin was talking on the phone, seeming quite oblivious to the intrigued glances he was getting from Will, who was over in the other corner nursing a beer.  
  
Lancelot, and another Knight named Percy, were in deep conversation about only the gods knew what, but there were a lot of swinging arms movements and laughs.  
  
Merlin smiled, watching his family and friends, before a series of high-pitched squeals made him turn to see Arthur chasing the girls around the lawn.  
  
Shaking his head in amusement as the girls finally turned on Arthur and jumped on him, dragging him to the ground with them, laughs victorious, Merlin went towards the table where the parents were at, refilling their glasses and listening to the conversation.  
  
"Now that their leader has fallen, and his second in command, Morgause, is locked up for good, Sigan's men stationed all around are surrendering themselves." Uther commented, giving Merlin a little nod before returning his attention to the others. "There are a few, of course, who are trying to become the next Cornelius Sigan and rise to power, but they don't have half the power or charisma he did. The Knights of the New Order will quickly decimate the little rebellion still left and hopefully we'll have a couple of years of peace before the next little cockroach with dreams of power begins giving us trouble."  
  
"At least by that time Mordred and the girls will be stronger, able to handle their powers more, and be able to protect themselves better." Mrs. Le Fey announced, staring at her grandchildren tenderly. Like her husband, she hadn't had a relationship with young Mordred and now were trying to build one slowly with the wary boy. "If someone else rises to power, they're going to want to either get rid of them for their power, or make the kids join them."  
  
"Not going to have much success on either front." Nimueh sneered, sending the kids a glance over the rim of her glass. "They handled themselves better when captured by Sigan then many trained Knights or Sages would have. They used the powers they could, their brain, and they refused to be intimidated despite the odds against them." She took a sip before twirling her glass slowly, eyeing on the kids. "They're going to be forces to reckon with when they're adults."  
  
"Good thing they have Merlin and Arthur to keep them on the straight and narrow." Hunith replied, leaning her head against Gaius' shoulder. She had finally met young Mordred and his father, and she'd given the blonde man a kiss and a hug, welcoming him into the family...before leaving him so she could better know her 'new' grandchild. Of course, Mordred, who was usually cold and wary and distrustful (something he displayed obviously with the Le Fey's ) was immediately won over by Hunith's ability to shower people with love and kindness.  
  
"Thanks my boy." Gaius smiled at Merlin after his adopted son refilled his glass.  
  
Sending his father a smile, Merlin left the half empty bottle of wine on the table and turned in time to see that Will had finally gotten the courage to go talk to Edwin (who'd finally gotten off his phone).  
  
Feeling a hand in his, he looked down and smiled at Mordred. "Having fun?"  
  
The boy nodded, giving the adults at the table a raised eyebrow before returning his attention to Merlin. "Mr. Hurt says he's going to add a character named Morx into the next story, and that he's basing him off of me."  
  
"That's kinda cool." Merlin smiled as they walked away from the table, leaving the adults to talk. "Who exactly are you going to be?"  
  
"I think I'm going to start off antagonistic, especially with Armand, but Mr. Hurt says that he's planning on later transitioning me into a reluctant ally and anti-hero figure." Mordred replied after a moment's thought, tilting his head up at Merlin. "I think, from what Mr. Hurt commented, that I'm somehow related to Myrrdin, or from a similar tribe or something."  
  
"So Morx is an elf." Merlin realized.  
  
"I think he's a mixed breed, since Mr. Hurt said that he has two sisters who don't have powers, and they're the reason why he later becomes a reluctant ally. So I'm guessing they're human, so it's probably Morx's father who is an elf. Or something. I don't know." He shrugged, not really caring about the technicalities. "How do you feel about Leon Knight?"  
  
Merlin blinked, a little thrown by the change of topic. "The little boy who has a crush on Sophia?"  
  
"No. Leon's kinda tiny, has big glasses, and is a total pushover." The seven year old shook his head.  
  
Merlin blinked. "The little boy who has a crush on Sophia."  
  
"He does not have a crush on Sophia." Mordred rolled his eyes. "If he did I wouldn't really be mentioning this to you because Sophia can take care of herself. And, to be truthful, if he has a crush on that miscreant he'd deserve anything that she did to him."  
  
"But he always takes her constant abuse." Merlin was completely confused. "Why would he do this if it wasn't for the fact that he liked her?"  
  
"Because he likes Freya, and whenever Sophia does something to him he goes to Freya bawling for comfort." Mordred replied. "It's cunning in a very deceptive way, and while I would usually admire such subtle yet effective tactics, I have to look out for my big sister."  
  
Merlin smiled down at Mordred, ruffling his hair affectionately. "I'll talk to her if it makes you feel any better."  
  
The boy folded his arms over his chest, nodding, expression a pout and yet a blush on his cheeks. "And I'll talk to him."  
  
"No bullying." Merlin warned.  
  
"He's older than me, I doubt he has reasons to fear me." Mordred replied unconvincingly due to his smirk, as he walked away from Merlin and towards his sisters, who were at the refreshment stand stocking up on cupcakes.  
  
Feeling arms going around him from behind, Merlin smiled, hugging the arms around him and leaning back into that warm, muscled body. "Wondered where you were."  
  
"Just watching you and my son bond." Arthur pressed a kiss to the curve of Merlin's neck. "That boy loves you more than anyone else, you realize that, right?"  
  
"I don't know, he seems to be very fond of ma." Merlin grinned brightly, pleased.  
  
"That's because Hunith is just...wow." Arthur nibbled on the shell of Merlin's ear. "I can see where you and Gwen got that...that...I don't know to call it. But its a sort of glow...but its emotional...I don't know how to explain it any better than that. Which is sad."  
  
Merlin chuckled, shaking his head. "Changing the subject, Mordred was having a very serious talk with me about Leon."  
  
"Leon Knight?" Arthur asked. "The little geek who is masochistic for Sophia?"  
  
"Well, according to our son, the only reason Leon lets himself be Sophia's punching bag is because he knows Freya will fuss over him afterwards." Merlin replied.  
  
Arthur went still. "What?"  
  
Merlin chuckled.  
  
Apparently Mordred wasn't the only one overly protective of Freya.  
  
"I'm going to have a little talk to that boy next time I pick the kids up from school." Arthur decided. "See what his intentions are."  
  
"Arthur, he's only nine." Merlin turned in his lover's arms, linking his fingers behind Arthur's neck.  
  
Arthur was pouting. "I thought I'd have two or three years before this would become an issue."  
  
"It's not an issue." Merlin laughed.  
  
"This is Freya we're talking about!" Arthur made a face. "Sophia was one issue-you have to worry for the sake and health of the boy in her case. But Frey? She's so sweet and naive and innocent and don't want any little boy taking advantage of that."  
  
Merlin pressed an adoring kiss to those lips.  
  
Arthur blinked, train of thought completely disrupted, before his hands slowly travelled to Merlin's hips and he grinned. "That's cheating."  
  
Nodding because he knew, Merlin curled his fingers in those golden locks and brought his lips to Arthur's once more.  
  
Arthur opened his mouth to the kiss, pulling Merlin hard against him so he could feel how indecent the kiss was making him.  
  
Merlin pulled away, face blushing. "Behave. We have guests."  
  
Arthur's grin was utterly perverted. "Who are all occupied and won't notice if we...slip away...for some bonding of our own."  
  
"I think you mean boning." Merlin couldn't keep the chuckle from his lips.  
  
"I can't believe you said boning." Arthur chuckled, darkly amused. "How high school of you, Merlin."  
  
Blushing darker, Merlin mock glared up at his lover. "Shut up."  
  
"Make me." The blonde pressed his hips into Merlin's, his lips parting in a hiss as he felt how affected Merlin was as well.  
  
Merlin's grip on Arthur's shirt tightened, his voice breathless. "Arthur..."  
  
"Five minutes." The blonde begged.  
  
"If you're only going to last five minutes it's not worth it." Merlin snorted.  
  
Arthur gave him a half scandalized/half terribly amused look. "Your arse is gonna regret that one!"  
  
"My arse?" Merlin raised an eyebrow challengingly.  
  
Arthur's grin was infectious as his fingers threaded through Merlin's and he quickly led him into their home.  
  
Neither noticed the three children watching them, and grinning brightly.  
  
-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-  
  
"Well, troops," Sophia announced, cupcake in hand. "This mission can be considered an all-round success."  
  
Freya smiled dreamily towards the house. "It's so sweet."  
  
Mordred rolled his eyes. "You are such a girl."  
  
"Oh please Mor, as if you're not jumping up and down deep down inside because things worked out." Freya turned to him, smiling. "Our parents are together, and we're a real family now."  
  
The young boy was forced to give a little smile at that, nodding. "Okay, so maybe deep down inside I am kinda thrilled...but knowing those two we're going to have a job on our hands making sure they or someone else doesn't screw this up for us."  
  
"True! True!" Sophia agreed, thrusting her cupcake in the air for emphasis. "So this meeting was convened to discuss the next part of my evil, master plan."  
  
"There was a second phase?" Mordred raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Of course there was." Sophia scoffed. "I'm a Bigger Picture kinda girl, you know."  
  
Freya pouted. "Why are we only hearing about this second phase now?"  
  
"Because I wanted you two concentrating on the battle plans for the phase we were engaged in at the time." Sophia replied as if this should be obvious. "We've gotten them together, and for that we all deserve a good pat on our back. But we need to cement this, make it more official, and the next part of my plan involves the hands-fasting."  
  
"Hands-fasting?" Mordred made a face. "What's that?"  
  
Freya, on the other hand, knew perfectly well what her twin was referring to, and she hugged herself, smiling sillily. "I love this plan so far."  
  
"I thought you would." Sophia preened.  
  
"Really you guys...what's a hands-fasting?" Mordred frowned, looking from one sister to the other, not liking to be left in the dark.  
  
"It's a magical marriage." Freya explained, sighing in a romantic fashion.  
  
Mordred snorted. "Marriage? Really?"  
  
"Yes, really." Freya nodded. "Think about it! It'd make it doubly official! I love it!"  
  
"Not to burst your bubbles or anything," the youngest sibling looked up at his two older sisters. "But we just basically got them together, don't you think it's a little premature to be considering a wedding?"  
  
"Don't worry." Sophia grinned evilly. "I have a  _plan_."


End file.
